Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (May 22, 1859 - July 7, 1930) was a Scottish writer and physician best known for his novels and stories featuring consulting detective Sherlock Holmes.  He was born in Edinburgh to a family of Irish Catholic descent that struggled with poverty and alcoholism. Arthur was supported by wealthy uncles and educated at Jesuit schools before attending the University of Edinburgh Medical School, where he began writing and submitting both fiction and non-fiction to periodicals. The character of Sherlock Holmes is partly modeled on university instructor Joseph Bell.  He served as a ship’s doctor on two voyages before establishing private practices in Plymouth and then Portsmouth.   The first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study In Scarlet, appeared in 1886 and was followed by The Sign of Four in 1990, establishing his literary career.  Seeking to pursue more serious work, he famously attempted to end the Holmes series in 1893 with his death in The Final Problem, but was summoned back by public acclaim.  Doyle was an active sportsman, playing soccer, cricket, and golf. He fathered five children in two marriages and was known for his work in attempting to correct injustices and for his lively interest in spiritualism.