1600: England is experiencing one of the greatest eras of literary growth that it has ever known. Theater, in particular, is popular, with artists such as Christopher Marlowe ( Dr. Faustus , Tamburlaine ) and William Shakespeare, whose As You Like It and Julius Caesar both appear this year. Poets of the time include George Herbert, John Donne, and Ben Jonson, who is so popular that he has his own group of followers, who call themselves the Tribe of Ben.

Today: The works of the Elizabethan playwrights are still held up as examples of craftsmanship and word artistry and are performed frequently.

1600: The queen of England, Elizabeth I, is the country's political, spiritual, and social leader. Her personal relationships with suitors like Raleigh are kept out of the public eye.

Today: The British royal family has hardly any political authority. Newspapers regularly expose scandals about the personal lives...