85 years of Nancy Drew: Did you know these facts about the popular teen detective?

If you were an avid reader as a child, chances are that you would have come across Nancy Drew a number of times. The popular book series about a teenage girl who solves crimes as an amateur detective captured the attention of young fans for generations. [caption id=“attachment_2227378” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Carolyn Keene’s first Nancy Drew novel ‘The Secret Of The Old Clock.’ Image: Grosset & Dunlap/WikiMedia[/caption] This year marks the 85th anniversary of the long-running series, with celebrations and book conventions being held across the world on 30 April. The first volume in the series, titled, The Secret of the Old Clock, marked the debut of the super sleuth who continues to be read and admired widely almost nine decades later. And to celebrate the 85 years of the popular book series here are some facts you may not have known about the Nancy Drew series. * Carolyn Keene, the author under whose names the Nancy Drew books are published, is not one person, but a pen name. The name was chosen by publisher Edward Stratemeyer. * While the character of Nancy Drew was the brainchild of Edward Stratemeyer, the initial stories were ghost written by Mildred Wirt, who wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, writes nancydrewsleuth.com * The Nancy Drew universe has spans many alternate universes with a number of spin-offs. These include Nancy Drew case files, Nancy drew notebook, and even a tie-up with Hardy Boys, the popular male detective series that ran simultaneously. * The Drew-niverse has expanded beyond books. Fan-site nancydrewsleuth.com reports that there have been two TV series, a couple of movies and a number of video games based on Nancy Drew’s detective stories. There is even an interactive website www.herinteractive.com for role playing games. * Not just the book, even Nancy has evolved with the times and technology. In the recent books, Nancy drives a hybrid car instead of her old convertible and in certain stories has used cell phones and computers, according to this Washington Post report. * Over the years, Nancy Drew has been an influence over a number of influential ladies themselves. Famous fans of the sleuth include Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Barbara Walters Laura Bush, Barbara Streisand among others, says this Bookgasm article. * Nancy Drew has a dedicated fan club called The Sleuths which has been around for a decade. The group comprises around 900 fans across the globe of all ages. Many of them held conventions earlier this month to celebrate the 85th anniversary, reports the Washington Post. * Nancy Drew was among the first literary characters to start the trend of franchises. “Book series like hers helped make the franchise concept both possible and profitable. From the first book, Nancy Drew was destined to appear in multiple volumes with multiple stories and was written to be the character upon which a universe could be created,” says this MarySue.com article.