- William Shakespeare was baptized on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, though the exact date of his birth is unknown. He was likely educated at the King Edward VI School in Stratford where he would have studied Latin and classics.
- In his late teens or early 20s, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway and had three children with her. He then left his family in Stratford and moved to London to pursue a career in the theater.
- In London, Shakespeare began his career as an actor and playwright in the late 1580s. His early plays were mostly comedies and histories,