Accursed April 23?

William Shakespeare showed up on the great stage of fools on April 23, 1564 and exited stage left on April 23, 1606. An interesting article in The Guardian wonders whether there may be some sinister coincidence surrounding this day.

Here are the other folks, wordsmiths all, who exited stage left on April 23 of various years:

Cervantes

Henry Vaughn

Harold Arlen (lyricist of such favorites as Let's Fall in Love and Stormy Weather)

William Wordsworth
Rupert Brooke

Batten down the hatches, O literary ones. Today could be a mess. For more rumination on the subject, go here.