On this day in 1558, Elizabeth I ascended to the English throne upon the death of her half-sister, thus giving birth to the remarkably fecund Elizabethan Age. From that era sprang probably the most influential writer in English history, William Shakespeare.

Today, let's remember Shakespeare by taking a look at Denzel Washington as Brutus in the 2005 Broadway revival of Julius Caesar. Washington received lukewarm reviews for his performance – and some outright bad ones – but it sure looks good.