Nicholas Udall (1504 - December 23, 1556), was an English playwright and schoolmaster, the author of Ralph Roister Doister, regarded by many as the first comedy written in the English language. // Events January 1 - French troops surrender Gaeta to the Spanish under Cordoba. ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... Events January 16 - Abdication of Emperor Charles V. His son, Philip II becomes King of Spain, while his brother Ferdinand becomes Holy Roman Emperor January 23 - The Shaanxi earthquake, the deadliest earthquake in history, occurs with its epicenter in Shaanxi province, China. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... Ralph Roister Doister is a comedy by Nicholas Udall, generally regarded as the first to be written in the English language. ... Comedy is the use of humor in the performing arts. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Udall was born in Hampshire and was educated at Westminster School and at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He taught Latin at Eton College, of which he was headmaster from about 1534 until 1541, being forced to leave when he was convicted under the Buggery Act 1533 for committing sodomy. Although the felony of buggery carried a sentence of capital punishment (by hanging), his sentence was reduced to just under a year in prison. A Protestant, he flourished under Edward VI, and survived into the reign of the Catholic Mary I. In 1547 he became Vicar of Braintree, in 1551 of Calborne, Isle of Wight, and in 1554 headmaster of Westminster School. He translated part of the Apophthegms of Erasmus, and assisted in the English version of his Paraphrase of the New Testament. Other translations were Peter Martyr's Discourse on the Eucharist and Thomas Gemini's Anatomia. Ralph Roister Doister (which is generally regarded as the first english-language comedy) was written specifically for schoolboys to perform, but was not published until after the author's death. Hampshire (abbr. ... Motto: Dat Deus Incrementum Westminster School (in full, The Royal College of St. ... Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ... Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The Kings College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor, commonly known as Eton College or just Eton, is a public school (that is, an independent, fee-charging secondary school) for boys. ... The Buggery Act was adopted in England in 1533 during the reign of Henry VIII, and was the first legislation against homosexuals in the country. ... Sodomy is a term of religious origin to characterise certain sexual acts. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... King Edward VI (12 October 1537–6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. ... Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 6 July 1553 ( de jure ) or 19 July 1553 ( de facto ) until her death. ... Events January 16 - Grand Duke Ivan IV of Muscovy becomes the first Tsar of Russia. ... The Isle of Wight is an island off the south coast of England, opposite Southampton. ... Events February 12 - After claiming the throne of England the previous year, Lady Jane Grey is beheaded for treason alongside her husband. ... Motto: Dat Deus Incrementum Westminster School (in full, The Royal College of St. ... Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (also Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam) (October 27, probably 1466 – July 12, 1536) was a Dutch humanist and theologian. ... The original Peter Martyr was a 13th century Dominican saint. ... Ralph Roister Doister is a comedy by Nicholas Udall, generally regarded as the first to be written in the English language. ...