October 13, 1930: Agatha Christie Introduces Miss Marple

Joan Hickson in the role

October 13, 1930: The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie is published. It introduces the character of Jane Marple. This early version of "Miss Marple," as she is perennially known, is a gleeful gossip, and not an especially nice woman. The citizens of the fictional town of St. Mary Mead, said to be 25 miles from London, like her, but are often tired by her nosy nature and how she seems to expect the worst of everyone. In later books, along with a great private detective, she becomes a kinder and more modern person.

She did not appear in a film until 1961, when Margaret Rutherford played her in Murder, She Said. This, and Angela Lansbury's portrayal in the 1980 version of The Mirror Crack'd, inspired the title of Lansbury’s later TV series, Murder, She Wrote.

In 1976, Neil Simon spoofed her as Jane, a.k.a. Miss Marbles, played by Elsa Lanchester, in the film Murder By Death, with James Coco playing Milo Perrier, a sendup of Christie's other great detective, Hercule Poirot. Joan Hickson played her in 12 films for the BBC from 1984 to 1992, which aired on PBS as part of its Mystery! anthology series. ITV began airing movies with the character in 2004, with Geraldine McEwan playing the role until 2009, and Julia McKenzie from then until 2013.

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October 13, 1930 was a Monday. The World Series ended 5 days earlier, with the Philadelphia Athletics beating the St. Louis Cardinals. Football was in midweek. The NBA hadn't been founded yet. And the NHL season was a week away. So there were no scores on this historic day.