O old friend? Why, thy face is valenced since I saw thee last. Comest thou to beard me in Denmark? - William Shakespeare (April* 1564 - 23rd April 1616) Hamlet Act 2, Scene 2
*While it is often given that Shakespeare was born on 23rd April, there is little supporting evidence for this. There is a church record of the baptism of a William Shakespeare for 26th April 1564 so this is also often given as his date of birth. The general lack of contemporary information surrounding Shakespeare has been a driving force behind the numerous authorship theories that have abounded since the 19th Century.
Little is known regarding the actual appearance of the Immortal Bard but it is generally believed that he had a beard.
