Langston Hughes, an American poet, novelist, playwright, short story writer, and columnist, passed away on May 22, 1967, at the age of 65. He was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. Hughes soon moved to Lawrence, Kansas, where he spent his childhood home-schooled by his grandmother and began writing poetry. At the age of 13, Hughes published his first poem in The Crisis, the magazine of the NAACP. In 1920, Hughes moved to New York City to attend Columbia University. He left the school a year later to pursue writing and performing, establishing himself as a major figure of the Harlem Renaissance in 1925 with the collection The Weary Blues. Among his many works, Hughes published poetry collections, a novel, and play. His inspiring and often deeply personal verse celebrated the black experience and earned him acclaim both in and out of literary circles. His influence on generations of writers and poets is profound and lasting. He received prestigious awards throughout his career, including the Maritime Poetry Prize from the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1935 and an honorary degree from Lincoln University in 1964. Langston Hughes will be remembered as a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance and an influential poet of the 20th century.