- William Shakespeare's birthday has been estimated to be on Apr. 23, 1564.
- England's national poet, the "Bard of Avon," is considered the best poet in his native language.
- Shakespeare's works also focused on global issues, such as climate change, pollution, deforestation, and others.
William Shakespeare is known as one of the greatest poets and playwrights in history, but his date of birth has been, at best, estimated to be on April 23, 1564.
England's national poet, also known as the "Bard of Avon," spread his environmentalism through his plays that mimic the ecological problems we face in modern times. These include climate change, pollution, deforestation, and several others.
When is Shakespeare's Birthday?
Furthermore, the term "industrial revolution" is seen as a cover-up for the long history of resource extraction and ecological degradation that has been going on in the British Isles. This sort of activity dates back to at least the arrival of the Romans in the region.
At the time of the Renaissance, England was still reeling from the consequences of these issues. While that time is often referred to as the golden age of English literature, it was also considered the apex of a mini "ice age," where a cooler climate resulted in poor harvests, as per The Conversation.
Shakespeare's birthday is considered an estimation because he has no existing birth records. However, an old church record showed the great poet being baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564.
From this information, scholars believe that Shakespeare was born on or near April 23, 1564, which is the date that they acknowledge as his official date of birth. Stratford-upon-Avon, located roughly 100 miles northwest of London, was a bustling market town during the time of the great poet.
England's national poet had two older siblings and was the son of John Shakespeare, a glove-maker and leather merchant, and Mary Arden, a local heiress to land. His father was known to hold official positions as alderman and bailiff, similar to that of mayors in modern times.
The Great Poet's Contributions
Additionally, there are very few records of the great poet's childhood and almost none that detailed his education. Scholars have assumed that Shakespeare most likely went to King's New School, which was located in Stratford, according to his Biography.
Most recently, academics have taken center stage at the annual birthday celebrations of the great poet. Professors Nataliya Torkut and Maya Harbuzyuk unfurled a Ukrainian flag during the parade through the town center of Stratford in commemoration of Shakespeare's birthday.
Torkut said that both of them needed to be in Stratford to celebrate Shakespeare's birthday this weekend. He added that their work with global Shakespearean academic colleagues continued amid the conflict.
He said that the volunteering work included them giving lectures, participating in panel discussions, and supporting the Ukrainian Shakespeare Center's competition for Shakespeare student research and creative projects, said the University of Birmingham.
