Where was Shakespeare born and raised?

William Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. Interestingly, we do not know Shakespeare's exact birth date, but it is commonly observed as April 23, 1564. There are church records showing that he was baptized on April 26, 1564. His parents were John Shakespeare, a glove-maker who would later be elected mayor of Stratford, and Mary Shakespeare, born Mary Arden. He was the third of eight children in his family, though he was the oldest...

William Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. Interestingly, we do not know Shakespeare's exact birth date, but it is commonly observed as April 23, 1564. There are church records showing that he was baptized on April 26, 1564. His parents were John Shakespeare, a glove-maker who would later be elected mayor of Stratford, and Mary Shakespeare, born Mary Arden. He was the third of eight children in his family, though he was the oldest to survive; his two older siblings died in infancy.

In his childhood, Shakespeare most likely attended a local grammar school, likely the King's New School in Stratford. At this school, Shakespeare would have learned from a standard curriculum, with instruction in Latin grammar and the works of classical Latin authors.

He remained in Stratford-upon-Avon until at least his eighteenth year, when he married his wife, Anne Hathaway. At some point after that he moved to London, but the historical record does not make clear when that happened.