Lord Byron was one of the most famous poets in all of England. His long poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage made him a celebrity overnight. Women fainted at his readings. His portrait hung in shop windows. But Byron grew tired of fame. He left England in 1816 and traveled through Europe. In 1823, he heard that Greece was fighting for independence from the Ottoman Empire. Byron decided to help. He sold his belongings and used his own money to buy supplies. He paid for weapons, food, and a small fleet of boats. He arrived in Greece in January 1824. The Greek fighters were grateful but disorganized. Byron tried to bring different groups together. He planned attacks and trained soldiers. But the rainy season brought disease. Byron caught a severe fever. Doctors tried to help by draining his blood, a common treatment at the time. The treatment made him weaker. He died on April 19, 1824, at age thirty-six. When news of his death reached Greece, the country mourned him as a national hero. His death brought attention to Greece's fight, and other European countries began sending help.