Remembering Arthur Conan Doyle on his 167th birthday
He is the writer who created the famous detective Sherlock Holmes
Today marks the 167th birth anniversary of Arthur Conan Doyle, the legendary British author best known for creating the iconic fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.
Arthur Conan Doyle was born on 22 May, 1859, in Edinburgh into an Irish Catholic family. He studied medicine at University of Edinburgh, where he worked under Dr Joseph Bell, whose sharp observation skills later inspired the character of Sherlock Holmes.
Before becoming a successful writer, Doyle worked as a ship's doctor and struggled to establish his medical practice.
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To earn extra income, he turned to writing and gained recognition with A Study in Scarlet, the first Sherlock Holmes novel.
He went on to write four Holmes novels and 56 short stories, including The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Doyle became one of the world's most celebrated detective fiction writers through the global success of Sherlock Holmes and his loyal companion Dr Watson, characters that helped shape modern detective fiction for generations.
The series, first introduced in 1887 with A Study in Scarlet, rose to major popularity during the 1890s, with Sherlock Holmes becoming a cultural icon, especially after The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was published in 1892.
Besides mysteries, Doyle also wrote historical fiction, poetry, plays and nonfiction. He served as a surgeon during the Second Boer War and was knighted in 1902.
Later in life, he developed a strong interest in spiritualism.
Doyle died of a heart attack in Sussex on 7 July, 1930.
