26 February 1564: Baptised in Canterbury – Canterbury, Kent, England, Baptised on 26 February 1564. His exact birth date is not known.
1580 – 1587: Studies at Corpus Christi College – Cambridge, England, Begins studying at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in late 1580, supported by a Matthew Parker scholarship.
1584: Receives his BA – Cambridge, England, Receives his bachelor of arts degree at Cambridge.
1587: Receives his MA after Privy Council intervention – Cambridge, England, The Privy Council commends his service to the Queen and intervenes on his behalf before he receives his master of arts degree. The precise nature of that service remains uncertain.
1587 – 1593: Works in the London theatre – London, England, After leaving Cambridge, works as a playwright in London during the remaining six years of his life.
20 May 1593: Required to report to the authorities – England, Following allegations of religious unorthodoxy, is required to report daily to a court officer. The allegations should not be treated as established facts about his beliefs.
30 May 1593: Killed at Deptford – Deptford, Kent, England (now London), Dies aged 29. The official account attributes his death to a stabbing by Ingram Frizer following a dispute over a bill; the circumstances remain debated.
1593: Died – Deptford, Kent, England (now London), Aged about 29.