| # | Fact |
|---|
| 1 | In addition to his Encyclopedia Brown series, he wrote more than 60 children's books on various topics, including Medieval knights, the American Revolutionary War, and the Wright Brothers. |
| 2 | He worked as a newspaper copy boy and a reporter during the 1940s and 1950s. He wrote a syndicated column, "Two Minute Mysteries," which led to the Encyclopedia Brown series. |
| 3 | His middle initial "J" didn't stand for any name. |
| 4 | Sobol has written more than 65 books. |
| 5 | His manuscripts are stored at the University of Minnesota, in the Kerlan Collection. |
| 6 | He started writing the syndicated series Two-Minute Mysteries in 1959, starring criminologist Dr. Haledjian. |
| 7 | He started his professional career as a copy boy for the New York Sun, eventually working his way up to reporter. |
| 8 | He attended the NYC Ethical Culture Fieldston School and graduated from the Fieldston School in New York City in 1942. |
| 9 | Sobol served with the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II and served in the Pacific Theater. |
| 10 | Following the war, he attended Oberlin College, where he earned a bachelor's degree. He also attended the New School of Social Research. |
| 11 | In 1949, he took a job at the New York Daily News, and worked there for two years. |
| 12 | After a brief stint as a buyer at Macy's in New York, he moved to Florida and started writing full time. |
| 13 | Son of Ira J. Sobol and Ida (Gelula) Sobol |
| 14 | Four children with wife Rose: Diane, Glenn, Eric, and John |
| 15 | Earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948 from Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, USA |
$2 Million
