Adrian Conan Doyle
The youngest son of Sherlock Holmes's creator, who spent decades fiercely guarding his father's literary legacy and battling in courtrooms.
1910–1970 (age 60)·Son of Arthur Conan Doyle·Birthday: November 19·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Adrian Conan Doyle was born into the shadow of a literary giant, his father Arthur Conan Doyle dying when Adrian was just nineteen. This proximity to fame and sudden loss shaped his life's central mission: to act as the sole custodian of the Sherlock Holmes canon and his father's reputation. He was not a writer of his father's caliber but a passionate, sometimes combative, defender. He collaborated on a series of new Holmes stories with author John Dickson Carr, though they were met with mixed reception. His most defining battles were legal, aggressively pursuing copyright and trademark cases to control the Holmes narrative. He lived a life of adventure that might have pleased his father, with a love for big-game hunting and sailing, but he remains a controversial figure, seen by some as a dedicated protector and by others as an obstructionist to broader creative interpretation.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Adrian was born in 1910, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Adrian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1910
Adrian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1910Born
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1915Started school
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Became a teenager
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1926Could drive
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1928Could vote
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Turned 21
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1940Turned 30
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 40
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 50
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 60
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
Key Achievements
- Co-authored a series of twelve new Sherlock Holmes stories with mystery writer John Dickson Carr, published as 'The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes'.
- Successfully sued the American film studio 20th Century Fox in 1964 for copyright infringement over a Sherlock Holmes television series.
- Served as the head of the Conan Doyle estate for many years, controlling licensing and publication rights.
- Was a founding member of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London in 1951.
Did You Know?
He was a champion big-game fisherman and held several world records for catches like black marlin.
During World War II, he served as a pilot in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.
He owned and raced a succession of large sailing yachts, one named 'The Sherlock Holmes'.
His godfather was the famous stage magician and escape artist Harry Houdini.
“The copyrights are my inheritance; I must protect my father's work.”
