Literature
Arthur Conan Doyle
Physician and creator of Sherlock Holmes
Born 1859 · Died 1930
Photo: True Williams · Public domain
«When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.»
Arthur Conan Doyle qualified as a doctor and wrote stories while waiting for patients who did not arrive. Sherlock Holmes, modelled on one of his Edinburgh professors, became the most filmed literary character in history.
Key achievements
- Created Sherlock Holmes, the most filmed literary character
- Overturned two wrongful convictions through his own investigations
Universities
Edinburgh, Scotland
Studied medicine from 1876 to 1881, where his teacher Joseph Bell became the model for Sherlock Holmes.
Facts
- Joseph Bell could deduce a patient's occupation and recent travels from their appearance before they spoke, and used it to teach diagnosis.
- He killed off Holmes in 1893 because he wanted to write historical novels, and was forced by public outcry to bring him back.
- He twice used his own detective skills to overturn real criminal convictions, helping to establish the case for a court of appeal in England.
Photographs
Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are shown on each image.