Known as 'The Bard of Avon', William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, around April of 1564. His father, John Shakespeare, was a successful local businessman and his mother, Mary Arden, was the daughter of a wealthy landowner. In 1582, eighteen-year-old William married an older woman named Anne Hathaway. Soon they had their first daughter, Susanna, who was followed by twins Hamnet and Judith. Sadly, Hamnet died at the age of eleven.Translated into innumerable languages across the globe, Shakespeare's plays and sonnets are undoubtedly the most studied works of literature in the English language. He was just as adept at writing comedies as he was tragedies, histories, and poetry. On top of this, he was also an actor. Shakespeare died in 1616.