"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" published 1886

A poster from the 1880s

Robert Louis Stevenson published his classic gothic horror novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, January 5, 1886 by publishers Longmans, Green & Co. It is one of the most famous and popular pieces of English literature and it continues to have a prolonged effect on popular culture.  

The story follows Gabriel Utterson, a legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange events in London.  

The story first appeared on stage in 1887 in Boston and was adapted to film in 1908. It has been produced, adapted, spoofed, and re-broadcast countless times since its publication.

Agatha Christie's first novel "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" published 1921

Agatha Christie's first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles, introducing Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, was published in the UK January 21, 1921.  It had been published the previous October in the US.  It was well-received by critics and remains one of her best.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles was adapted for television and aired as an episode on ITV's series Poirot starring David Suchet as the detective in September 1990.  

Since its initial publication, it has been re-released in hardcover and paperback dozens of times.