Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin was born on this date in 1799 in Moscow, Russian Empire. He was a Black Russian writer of the Romantic era and the great-grandson of Abraham Hannibal, an African general and friend of Peter the Great. Pushkin eventually became Russia's poet laureate. Political freedom was the subject of two of his most famous poems, Noel and Ode to Freedom. A continuous theme throughout his works was his obvious pride in his African heritage. He left unfinished a tribute novel, The Moor of Peter the Great, in honor of his grandfather. In 1837 at the age of 38, Pushkin died in a duel over the woman he married. Pushkin is considered to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature.