11 things you didn't know about the Bard

To mark the anniversary of Shakespeare's death, the RSC's Artistic Director Gregory Doran presents  some startling facts about Britain's most famous playwright:

 1. Shakespeare caused an air crash

On October 4th 1960 a Lockheed Electra aeroplane setting off from Boston Airport stirred up a flock of 10,000 starlings on the runway. It flew straight into the avian cloud which choked the engines and brought the aeroplane down. The crash claimed 62 lives.
The starling is not a species that is native to North America. It was introduced in 1890 by a Shakespeare nut called Eugene Schieffelin. He wanted Central Park in New York to be home to all the songbirds mentioned in Shakespeare.

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