Fled Czechoslovakia with mother to live in Singapore because of Jewish heritage

Moved with mother and brother to India

After mother's remarriage, family settled in Bristol, England

Worked as journalist for Western Daily Press, in Bristol, England

Wrote for the Bristol Evening World

Was a freelance reporter

Briefly associated with Scene, a satirical magazine conceived by Peter Cook

First play performed on British TV, "A Walk on Water"

Wrote first radio play, "The Dissolution of Dominic Boot"

First produced stage play "The Gamblers" at Bristol's Old Vic Theatre

Breakthrough stage work, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead"; produced in both London and NYC; earned first Tony Award for Best Play

First London production of "The Real Inspector Hound"; performed as part of a 1972 double-bill with his "After Magritte" in NYC

Wrote screenplay for 44-minute film "The Engagement"

Debut as stage director with British production of "Born Yesterday"

Had successful productions of "Travesties" in London and NYC; earned second Tony Award for Best Play

First feature screenplay, Joseph Losey's "The Romantic Englishwoman"; co-wrote with Thomas Wiseman from Wiseman's novel

Adapted the screenplay for "Despair" from the work by Vladimir Nabokov

Adapted Graham Greene's novel "The Human Factor" for the screen; last film directed by Otto Preminger

Picked up his third Best Play Tony for "The Real Thing"

Received an Oscar nomination for his contributions to the screenplay of "Brazil"; co-written with Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown

Adapted J.G. Ballard's novel "Empire of the Sun" for the screen; directed by Steven Spielberg

Feature directorial debut, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead"

Using the language of his birth, translated Vaclav Havel's "Largo Desolato"

Adapted John Le Carre's novel "The Russia House" for the screen

Scripted Robert Benton's "Billy Bathgate"; adapted from the E.L. Doctorow novel

First production of "Arcadia" in London

NYC production of "Arcadia"; earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Play

Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II

Wrote the stage play, "The Invention of Love"; based on the life of English poet and classical scholar A E Housman

Adapted Robert Parker's "Poodle Springs" as an HBO movie directed by Bob Rafelson

Co-wrote the award winning screenplay, "Shakespeare in Love"

Reportedly did uncredited rewrite on Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow"

Contributed English translation of the script for the period drama "Vatel"; screened at Cannes

Penned the WWII-era spy drama "Enigma"; screened at Sundance

"The Invention of Love" opened on Broadway; earned a Tony nomination

Penned the trilogy "The Coast of Utopia," focused on the philosophical debates in pre-revolutionary Russia between 1833 and 1866; the plays are entitled Voyage, Shipwreck, and Salvage, and totaled nine hours in length

Opened the trilogy, "The Coast of Utopia," on Broadway

Premiered his play, "Rock 'n' Roll" at the Royal Court Theatre

Reportedly did uncredited rewrite on "The Bourne Ultimatum," a film based on Robert Ludlum's best-selling novel

Had NYC opening of "Rock 'n' Roll"; earned a Tony award nomination for Best Play