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No fictional character’s birthday has generated as much debate as that of Sherlock Holmes. In 1933, American journalist and man-of-letters Christopher Morley—the man who a year later helped found the Baker Street Irregulars (BSI)—wrote an article in which he nominated January 6th as the detective’s birthday. Morley’s explanation is somewhat flimsy: in the Conan Doyle canon, Sherlock Holmes often quoted Shakespeare, but Twelfth Night is the only play he cited twice. Since “twelfth night” refers to the twelfth night of Christmas or Epiphany Day (January 6 in most traditions), Morley set that date as Holmes’ birthday. Whenever Sherlock Holmes was