William Shakespeare Timeline

By s865719
  • Queen Elizabeth the First is Born
    Sep 7, 1533

    Queen Elizabeth the First is Born

    Queen Elizabeth is born in Greenwich Palace
  • The Queen is Imprisoned
    May 18, 1554

    The Queen is Imprisoned

    Elizabeth is imprisoned in The Tower of London and then Woodstock Manor.
  • The Queen is Freed
    May 19, 1554

    The Queen is Freed

    Elizabeth is taken from the Tower to be closely confined at Woodstock Manor, Oxfordshire.
  • Queen Elizabeth's Coronation
    Jan 15, 1559

    Queen Elizabeth's Coronation

  • William Shakespeare is Born
    Apr 23, 1564

    William Shakespeare is Born

    William Shakespeare is born in Stratford-upon-Avon to John and Mary Arden Shakespeare. The date is unknown, but since it is tradition to get baptized after three days of birth, people say that he was born on April 23, 1564, since he was baptized on April 26, 1564.
  • Baptism
    Apr 26, 1564

    Baptism

    William Shakespeare is baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford.
  • Shakespeare Marries
    1582

    Shakespeare Marries

    William Shakespeare marries 26 year-old Anne Hathaway at the age of 18.
  • First Child

    First Child

    William Shakespeare's first daughter, Susanna, is born six month after his marriage.
  • Shakespeare Has Twins

    Shakespeare Has Twins

    Sometime around the end of January, twins are born and are named after Shakespeare's good friends: Hamnet and Judith.
  • Plague Closes Theaters

    Plague Closes Theaters

    London theaters are closed due to an outbreak of bubonic plague that eventually kills about five percent of the city's residents.
  • Venus and Adonis

    Venus and Adonis

    Shakespeare publishes "Venus and Adonis," his first long published poem. It is dedicated to his patron Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton.
  • Theaters Reopen

    Theaters Reopen

    In the spring of 1594, the London theaters reopen to the public. They accept frequent invitations to perform in the royal court of Queen Elizabeth I.
  • The Rape of Lucrece

    Shakespeare publishes "The Rape of Lucrece" Shakespeare purchases shares in the Chamberlain's Men.
  • Death of Hamnet

    William and Anne bury their only son, Hamnet, who dies at the age of 11 of unknown causes.
  • New Home

    Wealthy thanks to his theater work and shrewd investments, Shakespeare buys New Place, the second-largest house in Stratford.
  • Shakespeare is Praised

    Writer Francis Meres publishes a glowing review of Shakespeare's work. Shakespeare has become a noted playwright with at least a dozen plays under his belt.
  • Globe Theater Built

    The Chamberlain's Men build the Globe, a wooden theater in London. Many of Shakespeare's most famous plays are performed for the first time here.
  • Dark Times

    Shakespeare's father dies and his friend Earl Southampton is sentenced to death for his role in the Essex rebellion. It is believed that his father's death motivates Shakespeare to write Hamlet around this time. Shakespeare's plays over the next few years have a dark, brooding tone.
  • The Queen's Death

    The Queen's Death

    Queen Elizabeth I dies and James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England.
  • Shakespeare Dies

    Suffering from an unknown illness, William Shakespeare dies on his 52nd birthday.