Peter Shaffer

Profession: Playwright

Nationality:

Biography: Shaffer's father, a physician, encouraged him to pursue a career in medicine, but he instead decided to study English at Cambridge University. After graduation, he worked as a journalist and theater critic before beginning to write plays.

His first success came with the play Five Finger Exercise (1958), which was later adapted into a film (1962).

Shaffer's best-known play is Equus (1973), which tells the story of a psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has blinded six horses. The play was a success both in the West End and on Broadway, and was later made into a film (1977).

Other notable works by Shaffer include Amadeus (1979), which tells the story of the rivalry between Mozart and Salieri, and The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1964), which chronicles the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire.

Born: May 15, 1926
Birthplace: Liverpool, England, United Kingdom

Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Tiger
Star Sign: Taurus

Died: June 6, 2016 (aged 90)