Portal:England/Selected articles/2008

January, 2008
William Shakespeare (born April 1564 — 23 April 1616) was an English poet, writer and playwright. Shakespeare is widely regarded as being the greatest writer of the English language during his time. Shakespeare was known to be a performer in 38 plays and 154 sonets during his career.

Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, southern England. Although not factually verifiable, historians believe Shakespeare to have been educated at King's New School Shakespeare had three children: Sussana, Hamlet and Judith together with his wife,  Anne Hathaway. In 1592, records of his play and performances were recorded. After 1606, Shakespeare began to write fewer plays and, by 1913, none where attributed to his name

On 23 April 1916 — Shakespeare died, he was survived by his wife and two daughters as Hamnet had died ages 11. The terms of his will entitled his eldest daughter, Susanna to inherit a large amount of his estate, and for it to be passed down to "the first son of her body". Two days after his death, Shakespeare was buried in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church, a monument was built prior to 1623 in his memory on the north wall of the chancel.

February, 2008
Victoria of the United Kingdom (born 25 May. 1819 — 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland between 20 June 1837 and 1 May 1876. Victoria was commonly referred to as Queen Victoria, a more informal name. Victoria was granddaughter of George III, a former king of Great Britain and mother of King Edward VII.

Victoria was born to Prince Edward Augustus and Princess Victoria, the couple's only child. At this time, she was fifth in line for the British crown. Victoria was called Drina by members of her family, despite being baptised as Alexandrina Victoria, the reason for this name was unknown, however, he she was still formally recognised as Queen Victoria.

At sixteen years old, Victoria met Prince Albert, who she would later marry. Prince Albert was in fact Victoria's cousin, despite this, they married on 10 February 1840 at Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace. Lord Melbourne became a political advisor, and prominent figure in the first half of her life. During her life, the Queen had been the target of four assassination attempts, all of which failed, however the first attempt appeared to have little effect on her health, or pregnancy. Victoria died of a cerebral haemorrhage at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, when attempting to retain a tradition of her late husband, Albert's. She was buried next to her late husband, Albert in a white gown in Windsor Great Park, London.

March, 2008
Birmingham is a metropolitan borough and city located in the West Midlands, England. Birmingham is often considered to be the second city of the United Kingdom, and is the largest of England's core cities. The city has an estimated population of 1,006,500 in 2006. During the period of the Industrial Revolution, Birmingham was known as "the workshop of the world" by many, or an alternative name of "the city of a thousand trades". The importance of Birmingham in industrial terms has largely decreased over the years, however, the city is still officially the third best place in the United Kingdom to operate a business and, the 21st best in Europe.

The early history of Birmingham began in the 6th Century as an Anglo-Saxon hamlet on the banks of the River Rea. Birmingham was first recorded in written supplements of the Domesday Book of 1086. During the 17th Century, Birmingham had transformed from a small village into a market town, now playing a significant role in manufacturing small arms, mostly concentrated in an area of Birmingham called the "Gun Quarter".

Birmingham is located directly west of central England, lying on higher ground — at least 150 metres above sea level. The climate of Birmingham varies, there have a small number of recorded tornadoes. Temperatures in Birmingham are that of variation, with temperatures reaching just above freezing in the winter months, and 20oC in the summer months.