The Shakespeare authorship question is the argument, first raised in the 19th century, that someone other than William Shakespeare of Stratford- upon-Avon wrote the works attributed to him. All but a few Shakespeare scholars and literary historians consider it a fringe belief. Anti- Stratfordians believe that Shakespeare was a front to shield the identity of the real author or authors, who for some reason did not want or could not accept public credit. The controversy has spawned a vast body of literature, and more than 80 authorship candidates have been proposed, the most popular being Francis Bacon, Edward de Vere, Christopher Marlowe, and William Stanley. To the claim that Shakespeare lacked sufficient education, aristocratic sensibility, or familiarity with the royal court for a writer of such eminence and genius, scholars reply that there is much documentary evidence supporting his authorship—title pages, testimony by contemporary poets and historians, official records—and none supporting any other candidate.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare_authorship_question

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1014:

Irish forces led by Brian Boru clashed with the Vikings in the Battle of Clontarf. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Clontarf

1516:

The most well-known version of the Reinheitsgebot, the German Beer Purity Law, was adopted across the entirety of Bavaria. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot

1942:

Second World War: In retaliation for the Royal Air Force bombing of Lübeck several weeks prior, the Luftwaffe began a series of bombing raids in England, starting with Exeter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baedeker_Blitz

1954:

Batting against Vic Raschi of the St. Louis Cardinals, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hit the first of his record-setting 755 home runs in Major League Baseball. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Aaron

2009:

Gamma-ray burst GRB 090423 was detected, coming from the most distant known astronomical object of any kind at the time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GRB_090423

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

shy bairns get nowt: (Geordie) If you're too shy, or don't ask, you will not get what you want. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shy_bairns_get_nowt

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

If by your art, my dearest father, you have Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them. The sky, it seems, would pour down stinking pitch, But that the sea, mounting to the welkin's cheek, Dashes the fire out. O, I have suffered With those that I saw suffer! A brave vessel, Who had, no doubt, some noble creatures in her, Dash'd all to pieces! O, the cry did knock Against my very heart! Poor souls, they perish'd! Had I been any god of power, I would Have sunk the sea within the earth, or e'er It should the good ship so have swallow'd, and The fraughting souls within her.   --The Tempest https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Tempest