•The name “Sherlock” was almost unique — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle reportedly invented the surname “Holmes” because he liked the sound of it with Sherlock, though some speculate he was inspired by Dr. Joseph Bell, his medical school mentor, who had a knack for deduction.

•Sherlock was a pioneer of forensics — Long before modern CSI shows, Holmes used fingerprinting, chemical analysis and other forensic methods in his investigations — many years before they became standard police practice.

•He has an official birthday — Fans celebrate Holmes’ birthday on 6 January, based on clues from Doyle’s stories, though the exact date is never explicitly stated in the texts.

•Holmes inspired real detectives — Doyle’s creation influenced actual police work. Some early detectives adopted his techniques for observation and deduction, and Scotland Yard even consulted his stories for investigative inspiration.

•Baker Street lives on — The famous address, 221B Baker Street, didn’t exist when Doyle wrote the stories. Today, the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London preserves the legacy, with rooms decorated as they would have been in the Victorian era.