First Appearance of Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes, the iconic fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, made his first appearance in the short novel "A Study in Scarlet," published on December 1, 1887, in Beeton's Christmas Annual. Holmes, known for his sharp powers of observation and deductive reasoning, is primarily depicted through the perspective of his friend, Dr. Watson, who narrates their adventures. The character emerged from Doyle’s experiences in medicine and his professor, Dr. Joseph Bell, whose keen observational skills heavily influenced Holmes's persona. Over time, Doyle expanded the Holmes universe to include four novels and 56 short stories, with notable titles such as "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes."
Holmes’s popularity soared, making the address 221b Baker Street in London a cultural landmark. Despite his initial reluctance, Doyle brought Holmes back from apparent death after a public outcry following the story "The Final Problem." The detective’s legacy has endured through countless adaptations in various media, and his stories have been translated worldwide, reflecting their universal appeal. Doyle’s contributions to literature also included historical romances and early science fiction, but it is the Sherlock Holmes character that secured his lasting fame.
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First Appearance of Sherlock Holmes
First Appearance of Sherlock Holmes
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous fictional character Sherlock Holmes appeared in print for the first time in the short novel A Study in Scarlet on December 1, 1887, in Beeton's Christmas Annual. This fictional detective, who featured in 60 stories, continues to be one of the most popular literary characters.
Doyle was born the second of 10 children on May 22, 1859, in Edinburgh, Scotland. He studied to be a physician at the University of Edinburgh medical school, received his bachelor of medicine and master of surgery qualifications in 1881, and completed his M.D. four years later. One of his professors, Dr. Joseph Bell, was very observant of people's behavior and used his observations to deduce his patients' conditions. Bell would become the basis for Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes. Doyle actively practiced medicine for eight years, eventually giving it up for his writing career.
Doyle became famous for writing in the relatively new genre of the detective story, a narrative that features a mystery or a crime, with the emphasis on solving it through deductive reasoning based on facts known to both the reader and the principal character. In A Study in Scarlet we see Holmes through the eyes of his friend and companion Dr. Watson, who narrates the tale. Holmes is portrayed as possessing highly developed skills of observation and deductive reasoning. He also appears moody, possibly manic depressive.
Doyle went on to write a total of four novels and 56 short stories featuring Holmes. Some of the best known are The Sign of Four (1890), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), and His Last Bow (1917). Recurring characters in these tales include Dr. Watson; the housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson; Holmes's brother Mycroft; and the detective's archenemy, Professor James Moriarty. While there are many quotes attributed to the fictional detective, the well-known phrase “Elementary, my dear Watson” never appeared in any of Doyle's stories about Holmes.
In addition to his Sherlock Holmes stories, Doyle wrote several historical romances, including Micah Clarke (1888), The White Company (1891), and Sir Nigel (1906). He also wrote The Lost World (1912), considered to be an early example of science fiction, as well as The Great Boer War (1900) and The War in South Africa: Its Causes and Conduct (1902). Doyle was knighted for these works on October 24, 1902.
While Sherlock Holmes brought international fame to Doyle, the author eventually tired of the character. He felt that the public ignored his other works, of which he was also proud, and decided that he would have to kill off the beloved detective. In 1893, after visiting the Reichenbach Falls in the northern Swiss Alps, he wrote “The Final Problem,” in which Holmes and Professor Moriarty apparently fall to their deaths as they fight at the edge of the falls. The public outcry at Holmes's death was enormous, and readers were so upset about the outcome of “The Final Problem” that more than 20,000 of them canceled their subscriptions to the magazine Strand, which published “The Final Problem” and in which Sherlock Holmes regularly appeared.
Doyle relented, and Holmes returned in “The Hound of the Baskervilles” in Strand in 1901. The story would be released in book form the following year. Strand's circulation immediately rose by more than 30,000. Doyle made it clear that the story took place before “The Final Problem” and that Holmes was still dead. In spite of that announcement, the public demanded more stories. Once again, Doyle gave in to the public's desires, and Sherlock Holmes returned to the land of the living in “The Adventure of the Empty House” (1902).
Doyle died in Crowborough, Sussex, England on July 7, 1930. Sherlock Holmes continues to be a popular character and has been portrayed many times on both stage and screen. Doyle's stories about the detective have been translated into dozens of languages and are read throughout the world.