Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (22 May 1859-7 July 1930) was a writer and journalist, and was most famous as the inventor of Sherlock Holmes, a consulting detective. Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh and trained as a doctor, gaining his degree from Edinburgh University in 1881. Sherlock Holmes made his first appearance in 'A Study of Scarlet', published in Beeton's Christmas Annual in 1887. After enjoying the popularity of the character, he decided to kill off the detective, but had to bring him back following the huge public outcry. He went on to write books like The Lost World, while trying his hand at politics and immersing in spiritualism.