Arthur conan doyle biography timeline information

Last Updated June 16, 2023 – Originally published June 24,2015

1859 – Conan Doyle is born on May 22 in Edinburgh, Scotland to Charles and Mary Doyle.

1868 – Conan Doyle is sent to Jesuit boarding school in England.

1876  – Charles Doyle enters a nursing facility to receive treatment for his alcoholism.  Conan Doyle attends the University of Edinburgh Medical School where he meets Dr. Joseph Bell, the person who inspired the character of Sherlock Holmes.

1879  – Conan Doyle’s work is published for the first time. The story is The Mystery of the Sasassa Valley.

1880 – He serves as ship’s surgeon on the Greenland whaler Hope.

1881  – A Bachelor of Medicine and Master of Surgery are awarded to Conan Doyle.   He leaves from Liverpool to serve as shipboard medical officer on the steamer Mayumba.

1882 – Conan Doyle leaves for Portsmouth to establish his own medical practice.

1883 – He joins the Portsmouth Literary and Scientific Society.

1884 – J. Habakuk Jephson’s Statement is published.

1885 – On August 5th, Conan Doyle marries Louise “Toulie” Hawkins.

1887 – A Study in Scarlet, the first Sherlock Holmes story, is published.

1889 – Mary, the first child of Conan Doyle, is born. Micah Clarke is published.

1890 – The Sign of Four is published.

1891 – Conan Doyle gives up his medical practice in favor of writing. The White Company is published.

1892 – Louise gives birth to Arthur Allyne Kingsley.  The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is published.

1893 – Conan Doyle visits Reichenbach Falls. Louise is diagnosed with tuberculosis. Conan

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived from 22 May 1859 to 7 July 1930. Although by training a doctor, he was also a highly successful author whose name will forever be associated with that of his most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes. The wider picture in Scotland at the time is set out in our Historical Timeline.

Arthur Doyle was born in Edinburgh in 1859. The "Conan" which he used as part of his surname in later life was originally one of his middle names (the other being Ignatius). Doyle's parents were immigrants from Ireland, and his father worked as a civil servant. He was schooled at Stoneyhurst College before studying medicine at Edinburgh University from 1876 to 1881. Today a statue of Sherlock Holmes stands near Doyle's birthplace, while also close by is a popular pub called The Conan Doyle.

In 1879 Doyle had his first short story published, in Chambers's Edinburgh Journal. In 1880 Doyle spent part of his period of study as a ship's surgeon on board a whaler in the arctic, and the following year his first job after graduating was to serve as ship's surgeon on a passenger ship travelling to west Africa.

In 1882 Doyle set up a medical practice in Southsea, near Portsmouth, and started writing in earnest. His most significant early work was A Study in Scarlet which appeared in Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887. This marked the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes. Holmes was modelled on a professor at Edinburgh University,Dr Joseph Bell.Bell had always emphasised the importance of close observation in making a diagnosis and his party-piece was to pick a stranger and, through observation, deduce his occupation and recent activities.

During this period, Doyle was also instrumental in setting up Portsmouth Football Club, and served as its first goalkeeper. In 1885 he met

British writer and physician (1859–1930)

"Conan Doyle" redirects here. For the rugby player, see Conan Doyle (rugby union). For the South African cricketer, see Conan Doyle (cricketer).

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.

Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.

Name

Doyle is often referred to as "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" or "Conan Doyle", implying that "Conan" is part of a compound surname rather than a middle name. However, his baptism entry in the register of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, gives "Arthur Ignatius Conan" as his given names and "Doyle" as his surname. It also names Michael Conan as his godfather. The catalogues of the British Library and the Library of Congress treat "Doyle" alone as his surname.

Steven Doyle, publisher of The Baker Street Journal, wrote: "Conan was Arthur's middle name. Shortly after he graduated from high school he began using Conan as a sort of surname. But technically his last name is simply 'Doyle'." When knighted, he was gazetted as Doyle, not under the compound Conan Doyle.

Early life

Doyle was born on 22 May 1859 at 11 Picardy Place, Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, Charles Altamon

Portrait of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, c.1925  ©Conan Doyle is most famous as the inventor of Sherlock Holmes, but he had a varied career as a writer, journalist and public figure.

Arthur Conan Doyle was born on 22 May 1859 in Edinburgh into a prosperous Irish family. He trained as a doctor, gaining his degree from Edinburgh University in 1881. He worked as a surgeon on a whaling boat and also as a medical officer on a steamer travelling between Liverpool and West Africa. He then settled in Portsmouth on the English south coast and divided his time between medicine and writing.

Sherlock Holmes made his first appearance in 'A Study of Scarlet', published in 'Beeton's Christmas Annual' in 1887. Its success encouraged Conan Doyle to write more stories involving Holmes but, in 1893, Conan Doyle killed off Holmes, hoping to concentrate on more serious writing. A public outcry later made him resurrect Holmes. In addition, Conan Doyle wrote a number of other novels, including 'The Lost World' and various non-fictional works. These included a pamphlet justifying Britain's involvement in the Boer War, for which he was knighted and histories of the Boer War and World War One, in which his son, brother and two of his nephews were killed. Conan Doyle also twice ran unsuccessfully for parliament. In later life he became very interested in spiritualism.

Conan Doyle died of a heart attack on 7 July 1930.