Arthur Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859. In fact, Conan was his middle name and Doyle was his surname.

 

Doyle studied medicine in Edinburgh and after graduation started an independent practice in 1882. At first, it was not very successful. So, when he was waiting for patients, he began to write fiction.

 

In the mid-1880s, he wrote his first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet. His  model for Sherlock Holmes was his university teacher Joseph Bell. The writer Robert Stevenson, after reading the story, immediately wrote Conan Doyle that he had recognised Bell's personality easily.

 

Doyle had difficulties publishing A Study In Scarlet. Finally, in 1886, it was published. Doyle received a fee of 25 pounds (around 2900 pounds in today's money). 

 

The Sherlock Holmes series turned out to be an enormous success. In 1893, Doyle decided to stop writing detective stories and focus on historical novels. So, he simply  "killed" Holmes, throwing him from a high cliff (скала) together with Professor Moriarti. However, Sherlock Holmes fans wrote so many indignant letters (негодующих писем) to Conan Doyle that in 1901 Holmes was back - this time in The Hound of Baskervilles. 

 

Altogether, Holmes appears in 56 stories and 4 novels, as well as in many works by other authors. 

 

All his life Doyle had an interest in mystical subjects. For examples, he was sure that five photos of "fairies" were real (although, many years later it was proved that they were a fake).

 

Doyle was friends for some time with Harry Houdini, the American magician. Doyle was sure that Houdini himself had supernatural powers. Houdini tried to persuade Doyle that his magic was just illusion, but he couldn’t. Doyle didn’t believe him - and the two  had a big argument and stopped being friends.

 

Doyle was married twice. In the times of his first marriage to Mary Louise, he was in love with his future second wife, Jean. However, they had only a platonic relationship until Mary Louise's death. Doyle had five children by two wives. Doyle's youngest child, Jean Lena, died in 1997.

 

On 7 July, 1930, Doyle, aged 71, was found clutching his chest (сжимая грудную клетку) in the hall of his house in East Sussex. He died of a heart attack at the age of 71. His last words were directed toward his wife: "You are wonderful."