Agatha Christie (1890–1976) was a world-renowned English writer best known for her detective novels, short stories, and plays, particularly those revolving around her famous fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.
Early Life
Born: September 15, 1890, in Torquay, Devon, England
Full Name: Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller
Family: Youngest of three children in a wealthy middle-class family
She was home-schooled and taught herself to read by the age of five.
Initially trained as a singer and pianist in Paris, but eventually turned to writing.
Career Highlights
Debut Novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920), which introduced Hercule Poirot
Over her career, she wrote:
66 detective novels
14 short story collections
The world’s longest-running play, The Mousetrap
Some of her most famous books include:
Murder on the Orient Express* (1934)
And Then There Were None (1939)
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926)
She also wrote romantic novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott.
Personal Life
Marriages
1. Archibald Christie (divorced in 1928)
2. Sir Max Mallowan, a prominent archaeologist
Her travels with Mallowan inspired many of her settings, especially in the Middle East.
In 1926, she famously disappeared for 11 days, leading to a national search before being found staying at a hotel under a false name.
Legacy
Christie is one of the best-selling authors in history, with over 2 billion copies of her books sold.
Her works have been translated into more than 100 languages.
She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1971.
Died: January 12, 1976, in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England
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