“Elementary,” Said He
From the moment The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was published in 1892, the ficitional detective captured the public imagination. When Arthur Conan Doyle tried to kill him off in an 1893 story, public outcry was so profound—people wore mourning bands, and even the royal family was distraught—Conan Doyle was forced to bring him back. Holmes has remained etched into our cultural consciousness ever since. Today is Sherlock Holmes Day (and Conan Doyle’s birthday), a chance to celebrate the iconic sleuth.
Sherlock Holmes: A Pioneer in Forensic Science
© Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
The Life and Lasting Legacy of Arthur Conan Doyle
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Partners in Crime
This week marks the anniversary of two true-crime tales involving notorious duos—Bonnie and Clyde, and Leopold and Loeb. While their crimes were committed a decade apart, the stories share something in common: They served as the basis of movies important to film history.
Bonnie and Clyde
On May 23, 1934, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were killed by law enforcement, ending a nearly two-year crime spree that included a prison break and the murder of three police officers and two prison guards. The duo became notorious for their flamboyant encounters with the law and were portrayed in the nation’s newspapers as Depression-era Robin Hoods. In 1967 the film Bonnie and Clyde, starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, was a critical and popular hit, glamorizing crime in a way rarely seen before, and helping to usher in a new era of filmmaking unrestrained from moral codes.
Leopold and Loeb
The 1924 case of Leopold and Loeb—two wealthy college students who murdered a friend purely out of “intellectual curiosity”—shocked America. In 1948 Alfred Hitchcock depicted the crime in Rope, which is notable for being his first color film and also for being something of a technical tour de force. Hitchcock made the film to look as though it had been shot in one continuous take. Movie cameras could only hold 10 minutes of film back then, so Rope consists of eight 10-minute takes, with the breaks cleverly disguised.
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The history of sneakers
Trainers, gym shoes, runners, tennis shoes. Whatever you call them, these simple shoes have become ubiquitous.
Colossal squid
It has the biggest eyes in the world, and can grow to more than 14 feet (4.2 meters), and 1,100 pounds (499 kg).
Birkin bag
Produced by French retailer Hermès, this exclusive handbag is named after the actress and singer Jane Birkin.
America Ferrera
This actress was the first Latina and youngest person to win an Emmy for best lead in a comedy series.
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The political history of the term “Asian American”
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