The first ever Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet, was published 130 years ago, in the November 1887 edition of the long-defunct Beeton's magazine.
Arthur Conan Doyle had based his character on a doctor he'd met during his medical training, and the writer was still working as a GP in Southsea when he got the story published.
It didn't make much of a splash, initially, but was successful enough that the story was later published in book form, and Conan Doyle began to have a few more stories accepted - notably by Strand magazine, where the great detective at 221b Baker Street first came to prominence.
And it was a collection of those Strand stories which propelled Sherlock Holmes into a global phenomenon. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes collected 12 short stories together, and was published 125 years ago on 14 October 1892.
To mark these two anniversaries we have 25 questions all about the world's most famous sleuth – take the test, and share your result with your friends.
Your quizmaster is Tim Symonds, author of five Sherlock Holmes novels – the latest of which, Sherlock Holmes And The Nine-Dragon Sigil, is out now.
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'Good news, let’s make the £20 million deal happen': The Mansion Tax that turned out to be 'the least worst outcome for prime property', and the places that will be hitWhere in Britain are the £2 million homes set to be hit by the Mansion Tax? Anna White takes a look.
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A very taxing quiz indeed: Country Life Quiz of the Day, November 26, 2025Test your general knowledge in today's Quiz of the Day.
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Aristotle believed they emerged spontaneously from mud, Sigmund Freud dissected thousands of them and they can dive lower than a nuclear submarine — but what is the truth about the eel?It would seem the European eel has a long way to go to win hearts, Laura Parker says of the slippery animal with an unfortunate image problem.
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The Alpine rescue dog built for blizzards, bred by monksAs snow fell across the UK this week, I found myself day-dreaming of St Bernards striding through the Alps — a snow-day dog worth celebrating.
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Better than Ozempic? 50 years of the Brompton bicycleOwen Wilson, James May and most of the middle-aged men and condescending hipsters you know love them. As the iconic folding bike turns 50 Lotte Brundle hops on one with the company's CEO.
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No more froths, no more foams, no more tweezers. Classic dining is making a comeback. Thank godFrom prawn cocktail and Arctic roll to starched tablecloths and ‘nicotine cream’ on the walls, it’s out with the new and in with the old in the restaurant world
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'It is hard to beat the excitement of watching a peregrine you have trained stoop from 1,000ft, going more than 100mph' — the complicated world of falconryA combination of spellbinding sport and profound empathetic connection, falconry–a partnership in which the bird maintains the upper hand–offers a window into ‘the deeper magic’.
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What is everyone talking about this week: More than half the country owns a pet and nearly half our marriages end in divorce — no wonder pet-nups are on the risePet-nups, a formal agreement between couples over what should happen to their pets in the event of a split, are on the rise.
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How fashions finest would dress an Airedale, Dalmatian, corgi and more if only they had the chanceWe’ve matched some much-loved breeds to the designers that share their history, temperament and vibe — because why not. Illustrations by Tug Rice.
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Baby, it’s cold outside (even if you have a natural fur coat): How our animals brave the winter chillWhen the temperature drops, how do Britain’s birds, beasts and plants keep the cold at bay? John Lewis-Stempel reveals Nature’s own thermals.
