William Shakespeare is one of history’s most renowned, adapted, and studied writers — an impressive accomplishment given his humble beginnings and a life that was, at times, shrouded in obscurity. Born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, William was the eldest surviving child of John Shakespeare, a glove maker and civic leader, and Mary Arden, a member of a well-regarded local family. At 18, the young Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, and together they had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Tragically, Hamnet died at the age of 11.

Shakespeare’s career as an actor and playwright began to flourish in London in the late 16th century. Much of his young adult years and his journey to the city, however, remain a mystery, a period of time known as “the lost years.” What is known is that by the late 1500s, he was established as a playwright and his first poems, “Venus and Adonis” and “The Rape of Lucrece,” were published. As a founding member of the theater company the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later the King’s Men), Shakespeare crafted timeless plays such as Macbeth, King Lear, and The Tempest. His work — which includes approximately 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and several poems — defined the Renaissance in Elizabethan England. Today, he is known as the Bard of Avon, or simply the Bard, and is regarded as one of history’s preeminent English writers.

Shakespeare explored themes of love, ambition, power, and identity with inimitable wit, pathos, and moral complexity. He not only shaped Elizabethan theater, but also revolutionized the English language: He is credited with coining hundreds of words and phrases still in use today. His works also have inspired countless adaptations and remain fixtures of the stage and screen today. The Bard’s lasting impact — and intrigue — is indisputable. Though his exact birth date is unknown, his death in 1616 has been recorded as April 23 — the same day, in a fittingly poetic way, he is most commonly believed to have been born.