Who Was Alive

Were Francis Drake and William Shakespeare alive at the same time?

Yes. Francis Drake and William Shakespeare were alive at the same time for 31 years, from 1564 to 1596.

William Shakespeare was 31 when Francis Drake died.

Francis Drake

English sailor and privateer

Born c. 1540 · died 28 January 1596

William Shakespeare

English playwright and poet

Born April 1564 · died 23 April 1616 (Julian calendar), aged 51 or 52

  1. Michelangelo
  2. Martin Luther
  3. Francis Drake
  4. Miguel de Cervantes
  5. Francis Bacon
  6. Galileo Galilei
  7. William Shakespeare
  8. René Descartes
  9. Rembrandt
Francis Drake and William Shakespeare in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries. Drag across to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.