| Main Menu |
| Index | 
|
|
|
|
1564
Shakespeare born.
It is believed but not known for certain that he was born on April 23rd.
Shakespeare’s mother Mary was a landowner’s daughter, and his father John was a mainly successful glover and whittawer (leather worker), and a dealer in hides and wool. (He was later elected to several municipal offices, including Mayor of Stratford.)
Shakepeare had four sisters and three bothers, two of the sisters died in infancy before he was born. See Family Tree
April 26th Shakespeare baptised at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.
1567(?)
|
Richard Burbage born. (He was later to play Hamlet, Lear, Othello etc and become a close friend of Shakespeare.) |
1576
|
James Burbage (father of Richard Burbage) obtains a 21 year lease and permission to build The Theatre in Shoreditch, London. (This was the first permanent dedicated theatre built in England since Roman times.) |
1579
|
John Fletcher born. He later collaborated with Shakespeare on Henry VIII, The Two Noble Kinsmen (with is thought was mainly written by Fletcher) and the lost play Cardenio. |
1580
|
Thomas Middleton born. Montaigne's Essais published. |
1583
1585
1586
|
Mary Queen of Scots tried for treason. |
1588
|
Marlowe's Dr. Faustus. |
1590
|
Marlowe's The Jew of Malta. Publication of first part of Edmund Spencer's epic poem The Faerie Queen. The character of Gloriana was based on the Queen. |
1591
|
Sidney's Astrophil and Stella. |
1592
| Shakespeare moves to London and by now is a successful playwright. | |
|
Robert Greene author of the pamphlet Groatsworth of Wit puts Shakespeare down calling him an "upstart crow". | |
| Three months after the death of Robert Greene, in December 1592, his publisher issued a public apology for "upstart crow". | |
1592 to 1594
| The Bubonic Plague (The Black Death) spread across England. London theatres were closed. |
1593
|
Christopher Marlowe murdered. (There is a myth that he was killed in in a tavern brawl, but he was actually stabbed to death in a private house.)
Some believe that Shakespeare alludes to Marlowe's death in As You Like It: it strikes a man more dead than a great reckoning in a little room (3.3.11) |
1594
|
London theatres reopen. |
1596
Shakespeare's father John Shakespeare obtains a coat of arms. (The actual design no longer exists.)
The company of actors move to the Swan Theatre on Bankside when London's authorities ban the public presentation of plays within the city limits of London.
1597
Now wealthy due to his theatre work and investments, Shakespeare buys New Place, the second-largest house in Stratford-upon-Avon.
1598
Writer Francis Meres publishes a glowing review of Shakespeare's work. Thanks to Meres' review, we know that by this time Shakespeare has become a noted playwright with at least a dozen plays under his belt, including Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Love's Labour's Lost, Richard II and Titus Andronicus.
1599
The Globe Theater built from the timbers of The Theatre.
Shakespeare is a shareholder and receives about 10% of the profits.
1601
Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare dies. His exact age is not known, but Shakespeare's father was probably near seventy years old. (He had been married to Mary Arden for forty-four years.)
Earl of Essex rebels against Queen Elizabeth, but the coup fails and is executed.
1603
|
Queen Elizabeth dies. (She had helped Shakespeare and his contemporary writers and actors flourish.) James the VI of Scotland becomes the new monarch in England as King James I. |
1605
|
The Gunpowder Plot, Guy Fawkes and accomplices arrested. Bacon's The Advancement of Learning. |
1607
Shakespeare's daughter Susanna marries Dr John Hall. (Shakespeare later appointed them executors of his will.)
1608
Mary Shakespeare, Shakespeare's mother dies.
1609
20th May quartro volume entitled "Shakespeare's Sonnets, Never Before Imprinted" went on sale at five pence. It is generally thought that Shakespeare neither agreed to or was consulted about the publication. See Sonnets
1610
Shakespeare retires from the theatre and went back to his home in Stratford-upon-Avon.
1611
|
The Gunpowder Plot, Guy Fawkes and accomplices arrested. Bacon's The Advancement of Learning. |
1613
29th June Globe theatre burns down. The fire was caused by a cannon fired during a performance of Henry VIII.
1614
The second Globe Theatre built.
|
Webster's Duchess of Malfi. Sir Walter Raleigh's History of the World. |
1616
February 10th, Judith Shakespeare marries Thomas Quiney.
March 25th, Shakespeare's will, the last document he ever produced was finalised. It was less than one month before his death.
23rd April Shakespeare dies and is burried at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.
1619
|
Richard Burbage dies. |
1623
August Shakespeare's wife dies.
Stratford Shakespeare monument which includes a bust of Shakespeare placed over Shakespaere's grave. (It is not clear if this was done after or before Shakespears wife died.) John Heminges and Henry Condell, Shakespeare's former colleagues in the King's Men, collect 36 of their late friend's plays and publish them together in a volume now known as "The First Folio". It is not known how many copies were printed, but was probably about 750 copies, and up to 800 copies.
The First folio excluded Pericles.
Without The First Folio, eigthteen of Shakespeare's plays would have been lost to the world, including Macbeth and Twelfth Night.
See Title page of the First folio and First folio menu
1663
The second printing of the folio included the first publication of Pericles, Prince of Athens.
Shakespeare's plays in order of date written
First performance and first published dates
Family Tree
People connections
Evidence of Shakespeare's life etc
Shakespeare's last will and testament
| Return to top |
| Main Menu |
| Index |
|