Spotlight of the Day: Agatha Christie's

Did The New York Times ever publish an obituary for a fictional character? In fact, Agatha Christie's popular detective, Hercule Poirot, was the only fictional character to be eulogized with his own obituary in the pages of The New York Times. It came with the publication of the last novel he would appear in, Curtain: Poirot's Last Case, on August 6, 1975. The Times' front-page headline read, "Hercule Poirot is Dead; Famed Belgian Detective." Christie wrote some 90 books and 17 plays, including her most popular one, The Mousetrap, which premiered in London on this date in 1952. It would become the longest running play in theater history. The whodunit — a murder mystery — was first staged at the West End's New Ambassadors Theatre and moved to St. Martin's Theatre, where it is still playing. At the end of each performance, one of the actors asks the audience members to keep the identity of the killer a secret, so as not to ruin the show for others.

Answers.com: Spotlight

Spotlight of the Day: Agatha Christie's