For the first time, English Language Day, like the days of other official languages of the United Nations, was celebrated in 2010. The Department of Public Relations proposed to establish special dates on which the languages of the organization should be paid tribute. The purpose of these holidays is to strengthen the tradition of multilingualism in the world. The United Nations has allocated six days in the calendar — one for each of the official languages. The date of the celebration of the English language — April 23 — the birthday of William Shakespeare, the great English poet and writer of the Renaissance, the most famous playwright in the world. Among his works are known to any civilized inhabitant of the planet «Romeo and Juliet», «Othello», «Hamlet, Prince of Denmark», «King Lear» and others. Thanks to the wide spread of the English language, many fans of Shakespeare's work read his «Sonnets» in the original.
