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Events on Thursday 8 December 1859 1
1785 – 1859Thomas De Quincey (1785-1859)Died 8 December 1859, aged 74Thomas De Quincey was an English essayist best known for "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater," an autobiographical account of his addiction that influenced later writers on drugs and altered states of mind. He worked prolifically as a journalist and critic throughout his life. He died in Edinburgh.