Sherlock Holmes Day: Arthur Conan Doyle thanked for creating world's greatest sleuth on 161st birth anniversary
Every year on May 22, the world celebrates Sherlock Holmes Day in honor of author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday. 2020 marks 161st birth anniversary of the iconic writer and the fans celebrated the event in style.
Sherlock Holmes has grown beyond Doyle's books to become a household name and even though the author had a pretty strained relationship with his character (he actually hated how he was known almost exclusively in association with Holmes), it's undeniable that Holmes has been an inspiration to many. A number of fans took to Twitter to celebrate the event with tweets honoring both the author and his creation.
"It's #SherlockHolmesDay, a day which honors the world-renowned sleuth whose capers and adventures have inspired nearly every detective (real or fictional) since," one fan tweeted. "The day actually falls on the birthday of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who famously chronicled the detective's adventures."
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE, the author behind the greatest adventures of one of the most beloved fictional characters of all time and the only consulting detective in the world AND HAPPY #SherlockHolmesDay," another fan tweeted.
One fan remarked, "Every day should be #SherlockHolmesDay Just saying," while another fan, surprised to see all the tweets, wrote, "Nobody told me it was #SherlockHolmesDay, why did no one tell me it was Sherlock Holmes Day?"
Sherlock Holmes first appeared in print in 1887 in 'A Study in Scarlet'. The character achieved widespread popularity after his stories began to be published in 'The Strand Magazine' in 1891 and he stayed in print on and off till 1927.
In fact, the roots of fandom culture have often been traced to Sherlock Holmes and his fans who took to the streets in mourning when the character was killed off in 1893's 'The Final Problem'. Few literary works have achieved the level of universal popularity that the consulting detective enjoys. Perhaps few ever will.
"Happy 161st Birthday to the one and only, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle," a fan tweeted. "Thank you for enriching my life with your publications, and everything they have inspired.
The world is a more fortunate place for having had you in it."