Here is a timeline of Shakespeare's life:
1564
- April 23: William Shakespeare is born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, to John Shakespeare, a glover and councilor, and Mary Arden, the daughter of a prominent farmer.
1582
- November 28: Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway, an older woman from a nearby village.
1583
- May 26: Shakespeare's daughter Susanna is baptized.
1585
- February 2: Shakespeare's son Hamnet is baptized.
1585-1592
- Shakespeare leaves his family in Stratford and moves to London to pursue a career in the theater.
1590
- Shakespeare becomes a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain's Men, a theater company.
1590-1613
- Shakespeare writes and produces more than 37 plays, including some of his most famous works, such as Romeo and Juliet (1595), Hamlet (1603), and King Lear (1605).
1603
- Queen Elizabeth I dies and is succeeded by King James I. Shakespeare's company becomes known as the King's Men.
1611
- Shakespeare retires to Stratford-upon-Avon.
1616
- Shakespeare dies on April 23 and is buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.