William Shakespeare was thought to have been born on April 23, 1564. At the time of his birth, babies were not officially registered and no birth certificates were produced, but we know that children had to be baptized three days after birth and his baptism was on the 26th, so that's where the date comes from (Literary Genius). Shakespeare was one of eight children, which was actually quite small for a family of his time since families lived in fear of the infant mortality rate ("Shakespeare Facts"). Shakespeare's only sister to survive him was Joan II. She is named after her older sister, who died after only two months of life. She loved William wholeheartedly and was proud to see him become even more famous in the years that followed his life. William's family lived in a modest market town in Britain known as Stratford. William, more specifically, lived on Henley Street, where his father had lived for the past year ("Shakespeare Facts"). His childhood home is now restored and transformed into a museum for all to see and enjoy. John Shakespeare and Mary Arden are the parents of William Shakespeare. John was a maker of gloves and leather goods, but he also sold wool and barley for a living. He was also once elected to the city council, but was voted out due to his debts (BBC News). Mary was the daughter of a wealthy landowner and had many children with John. William's childhood was seemingly ordinary. He only attended King Edward VI Grammar School until he was 15. He was sent to this school because his parents could afford not to send him out into the real world to help support their family ("Shakespeare Facts"). After he left at 15, he didn't go to university but that didn't stop him...... middle of newspaper... from being heard by this slowly decaying world. Works cited by BBC News. BBC and Web. April 20, 2014.Claybourne, Anna and Rebecca Treays. Shakespeare's Usborne World: Linked to the Internet. London: Usborne, 2005. Print. Fox, Levi. The Shakespeare Handbook. Boston, MA: G. K. Hall, 1987. Print. “Shakespeare's Education and Childhood”. Shakespeare's Education and Childhood. Np, and Web. April 21, 2014. “Shakespeare Facts: Read the Facts About William Shakespeare.” » No sweat ShakespeareRSS2. Np, and Web. April 5, 2014. “Shakespeare in Bloom. » EBSC ​​host. Np, and Web. April 20, 2014. Shakespeare, William and G. Blakemore Evans. Romeo and Juliet. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2003. Print "When and where was William Shakespeare born?" When and where was William Shakespeare born. Np, and Web. April 21, 2014. “William Shakespeare.” EBSCO host. Np, and Web. April 20. 2014.