This Day in Horror History: Happy Birthday, Agatha Christie
On this day in horror history, Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller aka Agatha Christie was born in Torquay, Devon, England in 1890. An English writer known for her sixty-six detective novels and fourteen short story collections, Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, having sold more than two billion copies – particularly those involving Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.
Christie was born into a wealthy upper-middle-class family and found success when The Mysterious Affair at Styles with Hercule Poirot was published in 1920.
She married her first husband, Archibald Christie, in 1914. They had one child before divorcing in 1928. After that she married archaeologist Max Mallowan in 1930, and spent several months each year on digs, using her knowledge of the profession in her fiction. She also served in hospitals during both World Wars, acquiring a thorough knowledge of the poisons featured in many of her works.
She remains the most-translated individual author with her novel And Then There Were None being one of the highest-selling books of all time, with approximately 100 million sales. In September 2015, And Then There Were None was named the “World’s Favourite Christie” in a vote sponsored by the author’s estate.
Christie was the first recipient of the Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award and received an Edgar Award for best play in 1955. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1971. And she was voted the best crime writer and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd the best crime novel ever.
Christie’s play The Mousetrap holds the world record for the longest initial run. It opened at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End of London on November 25, 1952, and by September 2018 there have been more than 27,500 performances. The play was closed down due to the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020.
Most of Christie’s books and short stories have been adapted for TV, radio, video games, and graphic novels. More than thirty feature films are based on her work.
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