William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon April 23, 1564. He was the third of eight children, and the oldest son. He finished grammar school but soon had to abandon any higher education so he could get a job, after his father lost his job as a glovemaker. In 1582, he married Anne Hathaway. The next year they had a daughter, and in 1585 they had twins, though one did not survive.
Little is known about him for the next few years, so these are known as the Lost Years. But, by 1592 he had left his wife and children in Stratford and become a fairly successful playright in London. He was a member of the acting group The Lord Chamberlain's Men. He did a lot of writing and acted in many of his plays. They had their own theatre, the Globe. The acting company's name was soon changed to The King's Men, after they received patronage from King James I.
Shakespeare continued to write and act a lot until 1608, when he started spending most of his time in Stratford and working less. Shakespeare died April 23, 1616, in Stratford-upon-Avon. He was buried at the same church he was baptized in. He had his headstone ingraved, so that anyone who tried to move his remains would be cursed. Everyone has respected his wishes as he remains there to this day.
