The character of universal renown, detective Sherlock Holmes was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1886. The physician-author wrote 56 self- contained short stories and 4 novels, comprising a total of 60 'adventures' of the famed sleuth. Most of these narratives are addressed to his friend and chronicler, Dr. Watson. Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories rapidly grew in popularity across the world. Rarely in the annals of fictional creation has any character commanded so much attention of readers as Sherlock Holmes. His perceptive power of deduction, reasoning, ability to adopt almost any disguise and use of forensic science skills to solve difficult cases has enthralled millions of his fans. Tired after a decade of Holmes episodes, and desirous of bringing out his historical novels, Conan Doyle killed-off Holmes in The Final Problem (1893). This in turn set off waves of public outrage. After resisting the pressure for eight years, the author wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles (1901), to resurrect the hero. Since then anything connecting Sherlock Holmes has always drawn public fancy. His lodgings at 221B, Baker Street became so legendary that in 1990, the Sherlock Holmes Museum opened in Baker Street London. A statue of Sherlock Holmes overlooks Picardy Place in Edinburgh, Conan Doyle's birthplace. In 1934 the Sherlock Holmes Society in London, and the Baker Street Irregulars in New York were founded. Both are still active. The enduring popularity of this sharp-witted investigator has led to hundreds of works based on the character in the form of adaptations into other media and original stories. The Guinness World Records has consistently listed Sherlock Holmes as the 'most portrayed movie character' with more than three-score actors playing the role of the detective in more than 200 films.