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1564
Born in Stratford-Upon-Avon
No birth records exist, but an old church record indicates that William Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564. From this, it is believed he was born on or near April 23, 1564, and this is the date scholars acknowledge as Shakespeare’s birthday. -
1578
Shakespeare's education
He attended the King’s New School, in Stratford, which taught reading, writing, and the classics, including Latin until he was 14 or 15 and did not continue to university. -
Anne Hathaway
He married Anne Hathaway. He was 18 and Anne was 26. -
First Child
Their first child, a daughter they named Susanna, was born -
Twins
Two years later, on February 2, 1585, twins Hamnet and Judith were born. Hamnet died of unknown causes at age 11. -
Period: to
Shakespeare's Lost Years
There are seven years of Shakespeare’s life where no records exist: after the birth of his twins in 1585 until 1592. Scholars call this period Shakespeare’s lost years, and there is wide speculation about what he was doing during this period. -
Lord Chamberlain's Men
In 1594, Shakespeare joined Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the London acting company that he worked with for the duration of his career. Later called the King’s Men, it was considered the most important troupe of its time and was very popular by all accounts. Some sources describe Shakespeare as a founding member of the company, but whatever the case, he became central to its success. Initially, he was an actor and eventually devoted more and more time to writing. -
First published plays
Although The Taming of the Shrew is believed to be the first play that Shakespeare wrote, his first published plays were Titus Andronicus and Henry VI Part 2.
By the end of 1597, Shakespeare had likely written 16 of his 37 plays and amassed some wealth -
Globe Theatre
Shakespeare and several fellow actors built their own theater on the south bank of the Thames River, which they called the Globe Theatre -
The Globe destroyed
The Globe caught fire during a performance of Henry VIII and burned to the ground. The company quickly rebuilt it, and it reopened the next year. -
Shakespeare's death
The exact cause of Shakespeare’s death is unknown, though many people believe he died following a brief illness.