Born the son of a shoe-maker two months before the birth of another famous playwright, William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe achieved fame as an Elizabethan dramatist as well as an atheist. He was killed in a tavern brawl by a former friend, allegedly over a bill. There is now some evidence that suggests his death was in fact an assassination.

1. Doctor Faustus (1967) - play "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus"

1. The earliest historical record of Christopher Marlowe is the date of his baptism, which took place February 26, 1564, in Canterbury. Although the exact date of his birth is not known, children were traditionally baptized three days after being born.