Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on May 22, 1859. He studied medicine and became a doctor, but few patients came to his office. While waiting for patients, he started writing stories. In 1887, he published "A Study in Scarlet," the first story about a brilliant detective named Sherlock Holmes. Holmes solved crimes using observation and logic. He noticed tiny details that everyone else missed. A footprint in the mud or a scratch on a watch could tell Holmes everything about a person. Doyle based Holmes partly on a real doctor named Joseph Bell. Bell amazed his students by figuring out a patient's job and habits just by looking at them. The Sherlock Holmes stories became wildly popular. Readers treated Holmes as if he were a real person. Letters arrived at 221B Baker Street, Holmes's fictional address. After years of writing Holmes stories, Doyle grew tired of the character. He wanted to write historical novels instead. In 1893, he killed Holmes off in a story. Fans were devastated. Twenty thousand people canceled their subscriptions to the magazine. Doyle eventually brought Holmes back due to public demand.