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Today in History, April 23rd

On April 23, 1616, William Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon. Plus the launch of New Coke and the first YouTube video.

By Today in History Updated November 10, 2026 3 min read Sources checked

Published April 23, 2026 · Last updated November 10, 2026

April 23 is best known as the day in 1616 when William Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon. The date also saw Coca-Cola launch its ill-fated New Coke in 1985 and the first video uploaded to YouTube in 2005.

The big story: The Death of William Shakespeare (1616)

William Shakespeare died in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon on April 23, 1616 (Old Style), at age 52. Oddly, the same date is also the one most often celebrated as his birthday. No record of his birth survives, only his baptism in Stratford on April 26, 1564, so April 23 has become the traditional pick. Between those two dates, a young man from Stratford built one of the great careers in literature. By 1592 he had made his name in London. He was a founding member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the company that became the King’s Men under James I in 1603, and for almost 20 years he turned out about two plays a year. All told, he left 38 plays, two long narrative poems and 154 sonnets. He also invested well, buying the Stratford house called New Place by 1597. He is buried in the sanctuary of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford, in the town where his story began.

More events on April 23

Year	What happened
1014	Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, was killed by retreating Norsemen after his forces defeated them in battle.
1778	John Paul Jones led a small-boat raid on the British port of Whitehaven, England.
1914	The ballpark now called Wrigley Field, then Weeghman Park, hosted its first major league game in Chicago.
1915	English poet Rupert Brooke died of blood poisoning aboard a hospital ship off the Greek island of Skyros while on his way to Gallipoli.
1945	Less than two weeks into his presidency, Harry Truman sharply rebuked Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov.
1954	Hank Aaron hit the first home run of his major league career.
1961	Judy Garland gave a legendary concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
1975	In a speech at Tulane University, President Gerald Ford declared the Vietnam War finished as far as America was concerned.
1984	U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Margaret Heckler announced that researchers had found the probable cause of AIDS, the virus later named HIV.
1985	Coca-Cola introduced New Coke. After a public backlash, the original returned as Coca-Cola Classic 79 days later.
2005	The first YouTube video, showing cofounder Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo, was uploaded.
2007	Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first popularly elected leader, died at age 76.

Born on April 23

1791: James Buchanan, 15th president of the United States, born near Mercersburg, Pennsylvania.
1858: Max Planck, German physicist who originated quantum theory and won the 1918 Nobel Prize for Physics.
1936: Roy Orbison, American singer-songwriter of “Running Scared” and other dramatic ballads.