William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England. His father sold wool and made gloves and, according to records, his mother came from a wealthy family.
Shakespeare went to the local Grammar School but he didn't have a university degree.
William Shakespeare became famous for writing many plays, including Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet.
However, he began his career in the theatre as an actor. Unfortunately, he wasn't a very good actor so he began writing instead. Shakespeare wrote poetry as well as plays.
The theatres were closed in London from 1592 to 1594 due to the Plague and there wasn't anything for Shakespeare to do, so he spent this time writing two poems which helped him become well-known as a writer.
By 1603, there were many popular theatres, like The Globe, in London. William Shakespeare owned a company: "The King's Men". They performed in the best theatres in the country.
William Shakespeare wrote over a million words in his lifetime. In fact, he could write two new plays every year. The audiences loved them and by the time he died, in 1616, Shakespeare was a very rich and famous man.
