Arthur Conan Doyle – 19th–20th century British writer and physician; The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Lost World; a master of detective and adventure fiction. Trained as a doctor, he served at sea and in hospitals. His creation Sherlock Holmes became a literary and cultural icon.
🕵️ Sherlock Holmes was inspired by Dr Joseph Bell, famed for diagnostic skills from tiny clues. 📖 His first Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet, struggled to find a publisher. 📰 Doyle killed Holmes in “The Final Problem”, but readers revolted until he revived him. 🎩 Thousands of letters were sent to 221B Baker Street as if Holmes were real. 📚 Doyle longed to be remembered for serious novels and history, not just detective tales. ⚔️ Served as a doctor in the Second Boer War and was knighted for his service. 🌍 The Lost World became a foundation for dinosaur adventure stories. 🔮 Later in life he turned passionately to spiritualism, defending it publicly. 📜 His journalism helped overturn wrongful convictions. ✉️ When Holmes “died”, readers wore black armbands in mourning. 🖋️ Wrote over 60 Holmes stories and 4 novels. 📖 He considered his historical works more important than his detective fiction. 🧐 Curious: once played as a goalkeeper for Portsmouth FC under an alias. 😄 Funny: was asked to track a missing dog as if he were Holmes – and succeeded.