Life and Times of William Shakespeare

By Anniccm
  • 1559

    The coronation of Queen Elizabeth I

    The coronation of Queen Elizabeth I
    The queen succeeded to the throne on January 15, 1559 at the age of 25.
  • 1563

    The plague hits London, closing the theaters

    The plague hits London, closing the theaters
    Plague was the most dreaded disease of Shakespeare's time. The plague swept through London in 1563, 1578-9, 1582, 1592-3, and 1603.The outbreaks in 1563 and 1603 were the most ferocious, each wiping out over one quarter of London's population.
  • 1576

    The first public playhouse “The Theatre” is built in London

    The first public playhouse “The Theatre” is built in London
    The Theatre was the first London playhouse, built in 1576 by the English actor and entrepreneur James Burbage, father of the great actor and friend of Shakespeare, Richard Burbage.
  • 1577

    Francis Drake’s circumnavigation of the world

    Francis Drake’s circumnavigation of the world
    There are five ships set sail in 1577 from Plymouth, the Golden Hind being the largest at 120 tons. Only the Hind completed the voyage and returned to Plymouth.

  • Sir Walter Raleigh’s first expedition to Roanoke

    Sir Walter Raleigh’s first expedition to Roanoke
    In 1584, explorers Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe were the first known Europeans to set eyes on the island. They had been sent to the area by Sir Walter Raleigh with the mission of scouting the broad sounds and estuaries in search of an ideal location for settlement.

  • The defeat of the Spanish Armada

    The defeat of the Spanish Armada
    The Spanish Armada was defeated in 1588, it was a turning point in the histories of both England and Spain and one of the great achievements of Queen Elizabeth I.

  • The North Berwick Witch Hunt

    The North Berwick Witch Hunt
    The North Berwick witch trials ran for two years from 1590 to 1592 and implicated at least seventy people from southern Scotland, including several nobles of the Scottish court. These people accused of witchcraft in the St Andrew's Auld Kirk in North Berwick.

  • Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus premieres

    Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus premieres
    Doctor Faustus, in full The Tragicall History of D. Faustus, tragedy in five acts by Christopher Marlowe was first performed in 1592.

  • The Earl of Essex’s attempted rebellion

    The Earl of Essex’s attempted rebellion
    On February 8, 1601 Robert Devereux which is the 2nd Earl of Essex, led an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the Queen Elizabeth I and her court. This ia a treasonous act, as a result, he was later tried, convicted and beheaded on February 25th at the Tower of London.

  • King James I succeeds Queen Elizabeth I

    King James I succeeds Queen Elizabeth I
    In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I of England dies, and King James VI of Scotland ascends to the throne, uniting England and Scotland under a single British monarch from 1603 to 1625.

  • The King James Bible is published

    The King James Bible is published
    King James Version (KJV), also called Authorized Version or King James Bible, is an english translation of the Bible which began in 1604 and published in 1611 under the auspices of King James I of England.

  • The Gunpowder Plot

    The Gunpowder Plot
    The Gunpowder Plot was a failed attempt to blow up England’s King James I (1566-1625) and the Parliament on November 5, 1605. This plot was organized by Robert Catesby (c.1572-1605) in an effort to end the persecution of Roman Catholics by the English government and replace the country’s Protestant government with Catholic leadership.

  • Shakespeare’s Macbeth premieres

    Shakespeare’s Macbeth premieres
    The macbeth came out three years after King James I succeeded Elizabeth I on the throne in 1603. On August 7, 1606, Macbeth was first performed for King James I and his brother-in-law, King Christian IV of Denmark. It is believed that Macbeth was first printed in 1623.

  • The founding of Jamestown, Virginia

    The founding of Jamestown, Virginia
    In 1607, 104 English men and boys arrived in North America to start a settlement. On May 13 they picked Jamestown, Virginia for their settlement, which was named after their King, James I. The settlement became the first permanent English settlement in North America.

  • The Globe is destroyed by a fire

    The Globe is destroyed by a fire
    The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599. On June 29, 1613, the Globe Theatre went up in flames during a performance of Henry the Eighth. Later it was closed down by the Puritans in 1642. It was destroyed in 1644 to make room for tenements.

  • Theaters are shut down by the Puritans and acting is banned

    Theaters are shut down by the Puritans and acting is banned
    In 1642, the Puritans in Parliament passed a law that suppressed the production of plays. Puritans felt that the theatre was an ungodly place, and viewed that as centres of vice. In 1642, the Puritans ordered the Globe Theatre closed, and it was destroyed in 1644.