Dashed left edge = started before April 1616 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond April 1616
Events in April 1616 3
1547 – 1616Miguel de CervantesSpanish novelistCervantes wrote Don Quixote, often considered the first modern novel and a cornerstone of Western literature.
1564 – 1616William ShakespeareEnglish playwright and poetShakespeare created plays and sonnets that remain central to world literature, exploring universal themes of human nature.
1616Death of William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare dies on 23 April 1616 — traditionally his 52nd birthday — and is buried two days later in the chancel of Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. The cause of death is unrecorded. His friend and rival Ben Jonson will later write: "He was not of an age, but for all time." His grave bears a curse against those who move his bones: "Cursed be he that moves my bones." No bones have been moved.