If Beethoven had been killed in a plane crash at the age of 22, it would have changed the history of music… and of aviation.

About Tom Stoppard

Sir Tom Stoppard (; born Tomáš Sträussler; 3 July 1937 – 29 November 2025) was a British playwright and screenwriter. He wrote for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covered the themes of human rights, censorship, and political freedom, often delving into the deeper philosophical...

More quotations from Tom Stoppard

We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.

—Tom Stoppard

I think age is a very high price to pay for maturity.

—Tom Stoppard

maturity age

It is better to be quotable than to be honest.

—Tom Stoppard

The days of the digital watch are numbered.

—Tom Stoppard

We do on stage things that are supposed to happen off. Which is a kind of integrity, if you look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else.

—Tom Stoppard

History

28 May 2015 Added
26 Oct 2026 Wording changed

Previous wording

If Beethoven had been killed in a plane crash at the age of 22, it would have changed the history of music... and of aviation.