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Apr 23, 1564
Birth
WIlliam Shakespeare was born in a house on Stratford-upon-Avon. His parent's names were John and Mary Shakespeare. Shakespeare had 7 siblings, but only 3 of them survived. He came from an upper-middle class family, because his dad had a good job as a glover, someone who makes gloves. He came from a Protestant/ Catholic family (Fox 27- 51). -
Period: Apr 23, 1569 to Apr 23, 1578
School/ Childhood
William Shakespeare went to Grammar School and did very, very well. In Fox's opinion, he had a better understanding of modern and ancient languages than someone who had a classics degree from a modern university. His imagination blossomed from Latin texts and never stopped growing. He soon couldn't resist the urge to keep writing. His major influences were poets, writers who specialized in comedy, and speech writers. Some of his works were influenced by the Bible (Fox 27-51). -
Dec 27, 1571
Johannes Kepler was Born
On December 27th, 1571, German astronomist Johannes Kepler was born in the Holy Roman Empire of German Nationality. His family was poor, but his in- depth knowledge of overall subjects got him a scholarship to the University of Tübingen. Using the math skills of his late partner Tycho Brahe, he observed the orbit of the planets, specifically Mars. He published a book about his astronomic findings and he used what we now call the scientific method (NASA). -
May 31, 1578
Catacombs of Rome Discovered
On May 31st, 1578, a small baby had accidentally discovered a then unknown entrance to the Roman catacombs. When Antonio Bosio was just 18, he knew that he wanted to be an archaeologist and devoted his life to it from that point on. In 1593, he explored the catacombs and eventually found 30 entrances, using his own resources and the knowledge of others (Graves). -
Marriage
On November 28, 1582, WIlliam Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway were joined in marriage. They got married when Shakespeare was only 18 years old. By the time he was 21, he was probably settled in London with his family (Fox 27-51). -
Period: to
Shakespeare's Children
On the 23rd of May in the year 1583 and the 2nd of February in the year 1585, Shakespeare had all 3 of his chikdren with wife Anne Hathaway. His oldest daughter was named Susanna and married a physicist. His two younger children were twins named Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died in August of 1596 because of unknown causes. Judith went on to marry a wine maker and the couple got in a lot of trouble with the law and the Church; they were eventually kicked out.Their children died young (Mabillard). -
John White Finds Roanoke Colony Abandoned
In 1587, John White returned to the colony of Roanoke 3 years after he left roughly 117 colonists there. He came back to a haunting sight; there was no one there and little to no remains tha anyone was ever there. There were no corpses or bones, every house was gone, and there were two carvings: CROATOAN and CRO. To this day, the lost colony of Roanoke still remains a mystery (Howstuffworks). -
Invention of the Knitting Machine
In 1589, Reverend William Lee of England invented the first knitting machine. At first, his machine was rejected because the Queen at the time was worried about what would come of hand knitters if this machine became popular. His first prototype produces a thick, scratchy woll the was useful for stockings. His second prototype produced a silkier material. He went to France and with the help of King Henry IV, prospered in the industry of stocking making until Henry's assassination (Britannica). -
First Play Published
In 1594, Shakespeare's play "Titus Andronicus" was published by the Stationers' Register. It was most likely written in late 1593 and first performed in early 1594. This play was based on another writer's work, called "Christs Teares over Ierusalem" by Thomas Nash (British Library). -
Building of the Globe Theatre
In about 1598, Shakespeare and his company began building the notorious Globe Theatre in London in which they would perform some of his greatest works. This was one of the 4 major theatres in this area of London. It held a massive 3,000 audience members and the stage was massive with dimensions of about 43x28 feet. This theatre was particularly advanced for its time, seeing as it accounted for many stage effects. Before it had been built, the Shakespearean company used a theatre run by the -
Shakespeare's Sonnets
By the end of 1598, all of Shakespeare's 154 sonnets had been written. Primarily in iambic pentameter, a rhythmic form of poetry, many create a storyline. Among the more famous sonnets are "Venus and Adonis" and "The Rape of Lucrece" (Fox 27-51). -
Building of the Globe Theatre (continued)
Burbage family, whom WIlliam Shakespeare despised. The theatre that was run by the Burbages was set for demolition, and thus the Globe Theatre was built (Pressley). -
"Hamlet"
In 1600, with some minor edits in 1601, "Hamlet" was written and performed by Shakespeare's theatre company. Many playwrights were inspired by "Hamlet," including John Marston who's play "Antonio's Revenge" came out almost immediately after "Hamlet." There are many different versions of this play, but each with only minor changes (British Library). -
Invention of the Telescope
On Septenber 25th, 1608, the first patent for the modern- day telescope was made. Although it is commonly believed that Galileo was the inventor of the telescope, this is just a misconception. Galileo was the first person to use the telescope for astronomy purposes. The inventor of the telescope is credited to Hans Lipperhey from Germany. His original telescope magnified 3 times larger than life, and Galileo improved upon this (Wethington). -
Tobacco Cultivation in the South Begins
in 1612, John Rolfe thought that the climate, growing patterns, and soil would be optimal for the growth of tobacco. Although Virginian tobacco wasn't nearly as popular as Caribbean tobacco, tobacco was still popular nonetheless. Because the crop from the West Indies was far more popular, seeds were imported from there and by 1630, the tobacco industry boomed in Virginia (ushistory). -
Globe Theatre Burns Down
In a performance of "Henry VIII," a cannon fired (as part of the play) went through the roof. The cannonball set the roof on fire, and the masterpiece of a theatre had to be evacuated immediately. Plans were set to rebuild a new Globe immediately, and a new theatre was built before Shakespeare's death in 1616. Remains of this theatre were found in the 1980s and plans to rebuild were carried out, and it is still used to this day (Pressley). -
Death
At the age of 52, William Shakespeare was declared dead. He died on his birthday due to natural causes. His health had been declining for quite a while at this point (Fox 27-51).
