Philosopher · 1561 – 1626
Francis Bacon
Little-Known Facts
- He is said to have died of a chill caught while experimenting with refrigeration by stuffing a chicken with snow.
- Some fringe theorists have claimed he secretly wrote Shakespeare's plays — a claim scholars reject.
Myths & Misconceptions
Did Francis Bacon write Shakespeare's plays?
No — the 'Baconian theory' has no scholarly support; the authorship of Shakespeare's works is well established as Shakespeare's own.