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William Shakespeare is born in Stratford-upon-Avon (the third child born to John and Mary and then their only child, following the infant deaths of Joan and Margaret)
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Shakespeare begins his education at the King's Free Grammar School (his place was made eligible due to his father's position as an alderman of Stratford-upon-Avon)
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Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway (26 years old) at Temple Grafton
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Shakespeare's writing career begins
Writes 'King Richard III' -
Writes 'King Henry V'
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Writes 'The Comedy Of Errors'
Writes 'Love's Labours Lost' -
Writes 'King Richard II'
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Writes 'King Henry IV, Part I'
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Writes 'King Henry IV, Part 2'
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Writes 'King Henry V'
Writes 'Julius Caesar'
Writes 'As You Like It'
The Globe Theatre is built -
Writes 'Hamlet'
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writes 'All's Well That Ends Well'
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Writes 'Measure For Measure'
Writes 'King Lear' -
Writes 'Antony and Cleopatra'
Writes 'Macbeth' -
Writes 'Coriolanus'
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Writes 'Cymbeline'
Writes 'The Tempest', his last sole-authored play -
Writes 'King Henry VIII'
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Shakespeare believed to have retired from writing
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The Globe Theatre on London's Southbank burns down after a stage cannon is misfired into the theatre's thatched roof, during a performance of Henry VIII (then titled All Is True, and the earliest recorded performance of the play)
The Globe is quickly rebuilt, at a cost of £1,400 -
Shakespeare draws up the first draft of his will (18 Jan 1616)
Shakespeare draws up his final will (25 Mar 1616) -
Shakespeare dies at home at New Place, Stratford-upon-Avon (popular belief has it that William died of alcoholism following a session of heavy drinking shared with his old friend Ben Johnson (poet and fellow playwright) and the poet Michael Drayton. Other possible causes include syphilis and typhoid
Shakespeare is buried in Apr 1616
