Log in Sign up
Back to Discover
🎨

Arthur Conan Doyle

arts Maturity 11-13 death dying war conflict politics supernatural
This article covers sensitive topics: death_dying, war_conflict, politics, supernatural. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Arthur Conan Doyle was a writer.

Arthur Conan Doyle by Herbert Rose Barraud 1893.jpg
Arthur Conan Doyle by Herbert Rose Barraud 1893.jpg
He wrote many stories. He made a famous detective named Sherlock Holmes. People still love these books today. He was a very busy man.
Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg
Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg
Do you like mystery stories?

47 words

Arthur Conan Doyle was a famous writer.

Arthur Conan Doyle by Herbert Rose Barraud 1893.jpg
Arthur Conan Doyle by Herbert Rose Barraud 1893.jpg
He also worked as a doctor. He studied medicine at a school in Scotland. He even worked on ships at sea.

He wrote many different kinds of books. He is most known for Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is a very smart detective. He has a friend named Dr. Watson.

Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg
Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg

People loved his stories very much. Many people still read them today. His detective is in many movies too. He was a very busy man.

99 words

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a famous British writer.

Arthur Conan Doyle by Herbert Rose Barraud 1893.jpg
Arthur Conan Doyle by Herbert Rose Barraud 1893.jpg
He was also a trained doctor. He studied medicine at a school in Edinburgh, Scotland. During his studies, he worked as a doctor on ships. He traveled to the West African coast and the Arctic.

Doyle is best known for his detective stories. He created Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg
Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg
Holmes is a very smart man who solves crimes. He has a helper named Dr. Watson. Doyle wrote four novels about them. He also wrote fifty-six short stories. People loved these tales so much that Holmes became a star. Today, Holmes is the most filmed character in history.

Doyle wrote many other things too. He wrote stories about a man named Professor Challenger.

Professor Challenger.jpg
Professor Challenger.jpg
He also wrote books of poems and plays. He was a busy man who liked sports. He even played cricket. Doyle was knighted by a king in 1902. This means he was called "Sir" as a sign of honor. He lived a very full life of writing and helping others.

190 words

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a very famous British writer.

Arthur Conan Doyle by Herbert Rose Barraud 1893.jpg
Arthur Conan Doyle by Herbert Rose Barraud 1893.jpg
He was also a trained doctor. He is best known for his stories about Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg
Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg
Holmes is a smart detective who solves crimes. He has a helper named Dr. Watson. These characters are some of the most famous in the world. People still watch them in many movies and TV shows today.
Sherlock Holmes Statue, Edinburgh.JPG
Sherlock Holmes Statue, Edinburgh.JPG

Writing was a big part of his life. He wrote four novels about Holmes. He also wrote fifty-six short stories about the duo.

Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg
Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg
Doyle also wrote about a character named Professor Challenger. This character appeared in a book called The Lost World in 1912.
Professor Challenger.jpg
Professor Challenger.jpg
This book helped start a new kind of story. He was a very busy writer. He wrote over 200 stories and articles in total. He even wrote books of poetry and plays for the stage.

Before he was a famous author, Doyle studied medicine. He went to the University of Edinburgh Medical School. He worked as a doctor on two big ships. One voyage took him to the West African coast.

Bundesarchiv Bild 102-10068, Schriftsteller Conan Doyle mit seinem Sohn.jpg
Bundesarchiv Bild 102-10068, Schriftsteller Conan Doyle mit seinem Sohn.jpg
Another voyage was to the cold Arctic. He worked as a ship's surgeon on the Hope of Peterhead. These trips gave him many ideas for his writing.

Doyle had a very interesting life. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1859.

Arthur Conan Doyle by George Wylie Hutchinson.png
Arthur Conan Doyle by George Wylie Hutchinson.png
His family lived in many different places. He went to school in England and Austria. He even tried to study eyes in Vienna.
UndershawCirca1900.jpg
UndershawCirca1900.jpg
He was a very active person. He played many sports and was a judge for some. He even stood for Parliament twice. In 1902, King Edward VII made him a knight. This meant he was called "Sir" as an honor.

Many people still love his work today. Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed character in film history.

AufSherlocksSpuren5.JPG
AufSherlocksSpuren5.JPG
Doyle also cared about helping people find justice. He personally looked into two legal cases. In both cases, he helped prove the men were innocent. This work helped lead to new courts in 1907. He lived a long life and died in 1930.
Doyle grave Minstead.jpg
Doyle grave Minstead.jpg
His stories continue to bring wonder to readers everywhere.

401 words

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a prolific British writer and physician.

Arthur Conan Doyle by Herbert Rose Barraud 1893.jpg
Arthur Conan Doyle by Herbert Rose Barraud 1893.jpg
He is most famous for creating the legendary consulting detective Sherlock Holmes. Doyle wrote four novels and fifty-six short stories featuring Holmes and his assistant, Dr. Watson. These works are considered major milestones in the history of crime fiction. Beyond detective stories, he created Professor Challenger, a character who appeared in the 1912 novel *The Lost World*. This book helped establish a specific subgenre of speculative fiction. In total, Doyle produced over 200 stories, articles, and four volumes of poetry.

Doyle's creative process was deeply influenced by his medical training. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School between 1876 and 1881. During this time, he also studied practical botany at the Royal Botanic Garden. He even published an academic article titled "Gelsemium as a Poison" in the *British Medical Journal* in 1879. His medical background provided the foundation for his character development. For example, he modeled Sherlock Holmes after his university teacher, Joseph Bell. Doyle credited Bell with teaching him the importance of deduction, inference, and observation.

Before finding literary success, Doyle faced several professional challenges in medicine. After graduating with his Bachelor of Medicine and Master of Surgery, he served as a ship's surgeon. He worked on the *SS Mayumba* during a voyage to the West African coast. He also served as the doctor on the Greenland whaler *Hope of Peterhead* in 1880.

Bundesarchiv Bild 102-10068, Schriftsteller Conan Doyle mit seinem Sohn.jpg
Bundesarchiv Bild 102-10068, Schriftsteller Conan Doyle mit seinem Sohn.jpg
Later, he attempted to establish an independent medical practice in Portsmouth in 1882. This practice was not successful, and he arrived with less than £10 to his name. He also tried to study ophthalmology, or eye surgery, in Vienna. However, he found the German medical terminology too difficult and left the studies after two months.

The career of Sherlock Holmes underwent significant shifts due to Doyle's own feelings. He published his first Holmes novel, *A Study in Scarlet*, in 1887. By 1891, Holmes stories were appearing monthly in *The Strand Magazine*. This made Doyle one of the most famous and well-paid authors of his era. However, Doyle felt ambivalent toward the character. He actually killed Holmes off in the 1893 story "The Final Problem." This decision caused a massive public outcry. Consequently, Doyle brought the character back in *The Hound of the Baskervilles* in 1901. He continued writing Holmes stories until 1927.

Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg
Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg

Doyle's personal life and beliefs were complex and changed over time. He was raised in a Catholic household in Edinburgh, Scotland. As a young adult, he became an agnostic, meaning he did not hold a specific religious belief. Later in life, he became a spiritualist mystic. This led him to embrace supernatural phenomena like telepathy and spirit photography.

Photo of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with Spirit, by Ada Deane.jpg
Photo of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with Spirit, by Ada Deane.jpg
He famously supported the Cottingley Fairies, which were later revealed to be a hoax. This event caused a public disagreement with the famous American magician Harry Houdini. Despite these controversies, Doyle remained a highly respected figure in society.

Beyond writing, Doyle was a dedicated advocate for justice and social causes. He used his skills to personally investigate two closed legal cases. In both instances, his investigations led to the exoneration of the accused men. These efforts helped set a precedent that contributed to the creation of the Court of Criminal Appeal in 1907. He was also politically active and twice ran for Parliament without success. He supported various causes, including compulsory vaccination and British efforts in the First World War.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and family.jpg
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and family.jpg
He was even knighted by King Edward VII in 1902, becoming Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Today, the legacy of Conan Doyle remains immense and widespread. Sherlock Holmes is recognized as the single most portrayed literary character in the history of film and television.

AufSherlocksSpuren5.JPG
AufSherlocksSpuren5.JPG
His influence extends into many different fields of culture. Many fictional works have been inspired by his own life and adventures. His ability to blend scientific observation with gripping storytelling changed how mysteries are written. Even a century after his death in 1930, his characters continue to capture the imagination of readers worldwide.
Doyle grave Minstead.jpg
Doyle grave Minstead.jpg

714 words
🖼️ Images & Media (22)
File:Arthur Conan Doyle by Herbert Rose Barraud 1893.jpg
Arthur Conan Doyle by Herbert Rose...
File:Title page from Arthur Conan Doyle's thesis.jpg
Title page from Arthur Conan Doyle's thesis.jpg
File:Professor Challenger.jpg
Professor Challenger.jpg
File:Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg
Sherlock Holmes Portrait Paget.jpg
File:Sherlock Holmes Statue, Edinburgh.JPG
Sherlock Holmes Statue, Edinburgh.JPG
File:AufSherlocksSpuren5.JPG
AufSherlocksSpuren5.JPG
File:Authors vs. Artists 1903 Cricket Game.jpg
Authors vs. Artists 1903 Cricket Game.jpg
File:Sir A. Conan Doyle and family LCCN2014715849 (cropped).jpg
Sir A. Conan Doyle and family...
File:Arthur Conan Doyle by George Wylie Hutchinson.png
Arthur Conan Doyle by George Wylie Hutchinson.png
File:conandoylestatue.jpg
conandoylestatue.jpg
File:Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and family.jpg
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and family.jpg
File:Cottingley Fairies 1.jpg
Cottingley Fairies 1.jpg

+ 10 more

Up Next
🎨
A Study in Scarlet
Arts
More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.