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We know that he was baptised on April 26, 1564. Baptisms would have taken place shortly after the birth on the next available Sunday. People didn't want to wait too long as babies often died shortly after birth, and unbaptized ones didn't get to heaven like baptised ones did. People guessed that he might have been born on the 23rd for the very unscientific reasons that he died on April 23rd, and how cool would it be if he died on his birthday? and also it is St. George's day and how cool would it be if he was born on the day of England's patron saint?

There is some evidence which is better than "how cool would it be" in the form of a label on the back of the Sanders portrait of Shakespeare. Numerous scientific tests have shown that this portrait and the label attached to it are genuinely Elizabethan. The label says "William Shakespeare, April 23, 1564 -April 23, 1616" so it looks like for once what would be cool happens also to be true.

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11y ago

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