June 21, 1527, in Florence.

Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593) Christopher Marlowe, son of John and Catherine Marlowe, was born in February 1564 in Canterbury, England. Although he embarked on a humanistic education, receiving his bachelor of arts from the University of Cambridge while on scholarship, Marlowe was initially denied his master of arts due to his absences during his studies. Marlowe’s activities were vouched for, however, by the court of Queen Elizabeth. Historical evidence suggests that during his educational absences, Marlowe was serving as a spy in the queen’s service, helping to uncover and foil an insurrection plot by expatriate Roman Catholics. This life of intrigue and suspicion continued during Marlowe’s six years in London, where he was imprisoned for a short time as an accomplice to murder. During the six years he was in London, Marlowe wrote plays, the most famous of which is Dr. Faustus. Marlowe was again a suspect when a friend of his was found with incriminating papers, which the friend testified were Marlowe’s. Shortly after the incident, Marlowe was stabbed to death on May 30, 1593, in a Deptford tavern by one of his companions during a fight over the tavern bill.

Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, son of Pierre Eyquem, was born on February 28, 1533, in Perigueux, France. The Montaigne name was a noble title, purchased by the author’s great-grandfather and first used by the author. At the direction of Montaigne’s father, the entire Eyquem household spoke Latin in an effort to instill it into the young Montaigne. Montaigne studied and practiced law for several years and served two terms as mayor of Bordeaux. However, his major focus during his adult life was writing. Despite his background in Latin, Montaigne wrote his major work, The Essays, in his native French. Montaigne died on September 13, 1592, in Perigueux.

Sir Thomas More (c. 1478–1535) The records for Sir Thomas More’s birth are not exact, although historians surmise he was born February 7, 1478, in London, England. More was the son of John More and Agnes Graunger More. While in his early to mid twenties, More lived with monks and adopted their lifestyle. Like his friend Erasmus, More combined his religious and intellectual pursuits into one humanistic ideal that he pursued for the rest of his life. The ultimate expression of this ideal came with the publication of Utopia (1516). In his adult life, More served King Henry VIII and Parliament, and in 1521 he was knighted. When Henry declared himself head of the Church of England in 1531, however, More was forced to choose between his king and his Church. Faithful to the Church until his last days, More resigned his chancellor position and three years later refused to swear an oath endorsing King Henry VIII’s authority over the Church of England and nullifying that of the pope in England. More was sent to the Tower of London and was beheaded July 6, 1535.

François Rabelais (c. 1494–1553) Details about François Rabelais’s life are incomplete, but it is believed that he was born circa 1494 in Chinon, France, into a wealthy family. Rabelais embodied the spirit of the Renaissance, which encouraged the pursuit of multiple vocations and interests. In his varied career, Rabelais worked as priest, physician, scholar, and writer. He also served his brother, the governor of Italy’s Piedmont region, as an intermediary in the escalating conflicts between Catholics and Protestants. This was an ironic task, since Rabelais’s Gargantua and Pantagruel was condemned by the Sorbonne—the Catholic theological faculty at the University of Paris—as sympathetic to the Lutheran cause, while the Calvinists (Protestants) thought Rabelais’s books promoted atheism. Despite this animosity from religious groups, Rabelais’s books enjoyed a wide circulation, thanks to his protection from the French crown. Most of Rabelais’s work was written in the French vernacular, which inspired other French writers to do the same. Rabelais’s writings influenced other European humanists as well, most notably Cervantes. Rabelais died in 1553 in France.

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) Tradition holds that William Shakespeare, son of John and Mary Arden Shakespeare, was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, although the specific date of his birth has not been verified. In fact, for a man who is regarded by many critics as one of the most important writers in history, surprisingly little is known about his life. Most of the details are derived through speculation. Because his father was a man of some civic importance, it is assumed that Shakespeare received a well-rounded, humanistic education. Scholars also make evidence of Shakespeare’s references to schools in his plays as some measure of his own education. Given the enormous variety of experiences Shakespeare describes in his plays, it is also assumed that he pursued or observed many vocations and activities. Not much else is known about Shakespeare until 1592, when he became popular as an actor and writer in the London theater scene. He wrote more than thirty plays, including Hamlet, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar. Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon, on April 23, 1616, exactly fifty-two years after his birth.