Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born in 1890 to Frederick Alvah Miller and Clara Boehmer, inheriting American and British descent from her parents. Her father, a relatively affluent stockbroker, provided her with home education until she turned 12, whereupon she continued her studies at a girl's school in Torquay, Devon, and later in Paris, France.
As a young adult, Agatha aspired to become a writer and produced several unpublished short stories and novels, which were all rejected by publishers and literary magazines. Seeking guidance, she turned to professional writer Eden Phillpotts, and also searched for a suitable husband. In 1913, she accepted a marriage proposal from military officer Archibald "Archie" Christie and they married in 1914.
During World War I, Archie Christie was sent to fight, and Agatha joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment, performing unpaid work as a volunteer nurse from 1914 to 1916, before being promoted to "apothecaries' assistant" and earning a small salary until the end of the war.
In 1916, Agatha wrote her debut novel, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles", but it was unable to find a publisher until 1920. The novel introduced her famous character Hercule Poirot and his supporting characters Inspector Japp and Arthur Hastings.
After the war, Agatha and Archie moved to London, and their only child, Rosalind Margaret Clarissa Christie, was born in 1919. Agatha's debut novel was a hit, followed by successful novels "The Secret Adversary" and "Murder on the Links", and various short stories, cementing her reputation as a celebrated writer.
In 1926, Archie announced his intention to divorce Agatha, citing his mistress, and Agatha disappeared for 10 days, only to be found living under a false name in Yorkshire, claiming amnesia. The doctors who treated her determined that she had amnesia, and despite various theories, the exact events of those 10 days remain the most mysterious chapter in Agatha's life.
Agatha and Archie divorced in 1928, and she married her second husband, Max Mallowan, a professional archaeologist, in 1930. They remained married until her death in 1976.
Agatha often used places she was familiar with as settings for her novels and short stories, and her travels with Max introduced her to locations in the Middle East, providing inspiration for many of her works.
