Only limited biographical information about William Shakespeare is preserved in the historical record; most of our knowledge about him pertains mainly to his activities as a writer.
Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, and probably born a few days earlier. He married Anne Hathaway in 1582 and had three children, a daughter and twins. The first record of Shakespeare's theatrical career is a mention of his working as an actor and playwright in London in 1592. His long poem, Venus and Adonis, was published in 1593, and a quarto edition of his plays in 1594.
He was a partner in a theatrical company known as the Lord Chamberlain's Men (becoming the King's Men in 1603) and was financial successful, investing in a large house in his home town of Stratford. He died in 1616.
His most important achievements were literary, as he produced many plays and poems of enduring popularity. We do not have a record of his other activities.
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