I’ve been trying in vain to get the IMDB to change the official dates for William Shakespeare’s birth and death. Most official biographies of WS mention that he was born April 23, 1564 and died April 23, 1616–the same day Miguel de Cervantes died. The truth is that Cervantes died on April 23rd but Shakespeare died on May 3rd–England was still using the Gregorian calendar. Since we correct the birthdays of our Founding Fathers’, we should do the same for Shakespeare.
I should note that we don’t exactly know when Shakespeare ws born. He was baptized on April 26th (May 6th), but I suspect that the reason people picked April 23rd as his birthday had less to do with the tradition of a child being baptized three days after he was born than the fact that he died so close to his baptism day. How appropriate and symmetrical that this great writer die on the same day he was born. I would have no problem if the IMDB listed W.S.'s birthday as also being May 3rd.
Anyway, is there anyone out there who can verify if I’m right about Shakespeare’s real birth and death day being May 3rd?
“I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way…”
–Jessica Rabbit,Who Framed Roger Rabbit