Miguel de Cervantes (Dictionary of World Biography: The 17th and 18th Centuries)
Early Life
In 1547, the year that Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was born, Henry VIII of England and François I of France died, leaving Charles I of Spain (and V of the Holy Roman Empire) undisputedly the dominant ruler in Europe and the Spanish dominions the most powerful empire on earth. The sixteenth century is known in Spanish history as the siglo del oro (the golden century), partly because of Cervantes, who is the greatest of all Spanish writers. His parents were impoverished members of the gentry, and Miguel, the fourth of their seven children, was born in Alcalá...
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