The actor, poet, and playwright William Shakespeare would have turned 449 years old on April 23, 2013. On that day his fans celebrate his life and works.

William Shakespeare’s exact birthday is not documented. However, according to J. Rachel Gustafson’s report on the website Artworks.arts.gov, during Shakespeare’s era, babies were baptized three days after they were born, and historical records have dated Shakespeare’s baptism on April 26, 1564. Therefore, based on scholars’ calculations, his birthday was on April 23, 1564.

On that day his parents John Shakespeare, a glove maker and tradesman, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent farmer, were blessed to receive a talented baby son. He grew up to become a grand English actor, poet, and playwriter. Some of his well-known plays are Hamlet, Romero and Juliet, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar.

According to the “Biography of William Shakespeare” found in Critical Insights: King Lear by Berry Gaines, Shakespeare’s inspiration for his famous works cam from life around him. The tragedy of Hamlet was actually based on the death of his father in 1601. Additionally, King James I, ruler of England in 1603, inspired the play Macbeth due to his curiosity about witchcraft and supernatural ideas. Shakespeare’s talent for poetry and sonnets sprung when the theaters in England were shut down due to horrible plagues. Some of the famous poems he composed were Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. They were also influenced by his love life, which many speculate was possibly homosexual due to the nature of some of his poetry. For example, this can be seen in the sonnets The Fair Young Man and The Rival Poet.

If Shakespeare could, he would probably write about his death too. Ironically, he died of unknown causes on the same date he celebrated his life, April 23. However, generations to come will continue to celebrate his captivating stories on tragedy, love, vengeance, and history. According to Shakespeareinamericancommunities.org , “To the world, he left a lasting legacy in the form of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and two narrative poems.”