Born on April 2, 1805, in Odense, Denmark, Andersen was an emotional, yet imaginative child. His father, a poor shoemaker, died in1816. With a mother who was very superstitious and unable to read or write, the boy received little education as a child.Andersen traveled to Copenhagen. There,he hoped to become an actor or singer. He was lucky enough to spend some time with the Royal Theater, but when his voice changed, he had to leave. Luckily, one of the directors helped him by arranging his education.