EQMM HIghlights
A year-by-year rundown of significant events in EQMM history:
1940s
1941: EQMM debuts as quarterly, Ellery Queen (Frederic Dannay) editor; designer George Salter cover
1942: EQMM goes bimonthly; John Dickson Carr and Agatha Christie stories in first U.S. publication
1943: New story by Lillian de la Torre (pioneer of the historical mystery)
1944: The magazine is divided into departments by theme
1945: Overseas editions for US troops appear
1946: EQMM goes monthly; first EQMM short story contest, with a new short story by William Faulkner, one of the prize winners; a series by Pulitzer Prize winner T.S. Stribling begins; Howard Haycraft’s “Speaking of Crime” column begins.
1947: First EQMM appearance Jack Finney, Edmund Crispin, Harry Kemelman; EQ wins Edgar for “editing numerous anthologies and EQMM”; Howard Haycraft wins Edgar for EQMM column
1948: EQMM begins accepting novels and novelettes; John Dickson Carr novelette The Third Bullet appears; first work in English of Jorge Luis Borges appears; stories by Stanley Ellin and Lee Hays (The Weavers) appear
1949: Department of First Stories begins; Anthony Boucher begins as EQMM columnist and wins Edgar for Outstanding Mystery Criticism
1950s
1950: EQ wins Edgar for “ten years’ service” at EQMM; new A.A. Milne and P.G. Wodehouse stories
1951: EQMM wins Special Edgar for “Queen’s Quorum” (125 most important short-story collections)
1952: Anthony Boucher wins Special Edgar for columns in EQMM
1953: EQMM buys Black Mask Magazine—it appears in EQMM until 1970 as a special department
1954: Milton Glaser cover appears; new Ray Bradbury story appears; Richard Levinson and William Link appear in Department of First Stories; Stanley Ellin wins Edgar for EQMM story
1955: New EQMM Margery Allingham series begins; Philip Macdonald wins Edgar for EQMM story
1956: New story by Orson Welles (first U.S. publication); Stanley Ellin wins Edgar for EQMM story
1957: Anthony Boucher’s “Best Mysteries of the Month” column begins; De Forbes given a special award in EQMM short-story contest. New story by Agatha Christie appears.
1958: Cornell Woolrich appears with his first new story in EQMM; first appearances in EQMM with new stories of Poul Anderson, Francis and Richard Lockridge, and Christianna Brand.
1959: EQMM joins forces with the University of Texas on a Short Story Workshop; publishes EQ students
1960s
1960: Ellery Queen named MWA Grand Master; Robert L. Fish appears in Department of First Stories; new stories by Arthur C. Clarke and Evan Hunter (Ed McBain); EQMM story wins Outstanding Western award
1961: New stories by Dashiell Hammett and Geoffrey Household appear in 20th anniversary issue; Avram Davidson wins Edgar for EQMM story
1962: New Nero Wolfe novelette by Rex Stout appears; new stories appear for first time from Lilian Jackson Braun, William Bankier, and Edward D. Hoch.
1963: John Dickson Carr’s acclaimed critical essay “The Grandest Game in the World” appears
1964: First EQMM appearance Donald E. Westlake; Lawrence Treat wins Edgar for EQMM story
1965: New story appears by famous dancer-choreographer Katherine Dunham.
1966: Issues contain the first Ellery Queen short novel in four years.
1967: Christianna Brand wins EQMM-CWA Contest; EQMM wins MWA’s Raven Award.
1968: P.D. James appears in EQMM for the first time and wins the EQMM-CWA contest.
1969: Joe Gores wins Edgar for EQMM story; John Dickson Carr takes over “Best Mysteries of the Month”
1970s
1970: New Ed McBain novel appears; first EQMM appearance Isaac Asimov; H.R.F. Keating appears and wins EQMM-CWA contest; John Dickson Carr’s column becomes “The Jury Box”
1971: Manfred B. Lee (Ellery Queen) dies; Michael Harrison article with a Sherlockian discovery appears
1972: David Morrell (later of Rambo fame) and Dick Lochte appear in Department of First Stories; Joyce Harrington wins Edgar for EQMM story
1973: First EQMM appearances Ruth Rendell and Bill Pronzini (solo); Black Mask sold, reappears 2008
1974: Ruth Rendell wins Edgar for EQMM story
1975: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Newsletter” begins; Ruth Rendell wins Edgar for EQMM story
1976: Etta Revesz wins Edgar for EQMM story
1977: Jon L. Breen takes over The Jury Box; first EQMM appearance Lawrence Block; Thomas Walsh wins Edgar for EQMM story
1978: Barbara Owens wins Edgar for EQMM story
1979: First EQMM appearance Peter Lovesey
1980s
1980: New Stephen King story appears; Clark Howard appears and wins Edgar for EQMM story; Lawrence E. Spivak wins Special Edgar as “founding publisher of EQMM”
1981: Jack Ritchie wins Edgar for EQMM story
1982: Editor Frederic Dannay (Ellery Queen) dies; Eleanor Sullivan begins as EQMM’s editor
1983: Edgar to Ruth Rendell for EQMM story; Lilly Carlson story in EQMM wins first Robert L. Fish Memorial Award; Allen J. Hubin takes over “The Jury Box”; MWA founds Ellery Queen Award
1984: First short story in English by Gregory McDonald, creator of Fletch, appears
1985: The EQMM Readers Award begins, and goes to Clark Howard
1986: Eleanor Sullivan wins Ellery Queen Award
1987: Robert Barnard wins Anthony and Macavity awards for EQMM stories; Nancy Pickard appears in Department of First Stories
1988: Robert Barnard wins Edgar for EQMM story; Linda O. Johnston wins Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for EQMM story; first EQMM appearance Doug Allyn; Jon L. Breen returns to The Jury Box
1989: Joel Davis (publisher of EQMM) wins Ellery Queen Award.
1990s
1990: Lynne Barrett wins the Edgar for EQMM story; first EQMM appearance Phyllis Diller
1991: Editor Eleanor Sullivan dies; Janet Hutchings begins as editor
1992: First EQMM appearance Joyce Carol Oates; EQMM stories win American Mystery, Robert L. Fish Memorial, and Semana Negra awards
1993: First EQMM appearances Ian Rankin and Ed Gorman
1994: EQMM stories win Robert L. Fish Memorial, Macavity, and Shamus awards; First EQMM appearances Ann Cleeves and Peter Robinson
1995: Jean B. Cooper wins Edgar for EQMM story; Ian Rankin wins the Dagger Award for EQMM story; first EQMM appearance Jeffery Deaver
1996: David Vaughn wins Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for EQMM story; new Anne Perry story appears; first EQMM appearances Val McDermid and Marcia Muller
1997: Edward D. Hoch co-wins Anthony Award for EQMM story; Carolyn Hart first appears EQMM
1998: EQMM stories win Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, Arthur Ellis, and Robert L. Fish awards
1999: EQMM stories win Anthony and Derringer awards; Jon L. Breen wins Ellen Nehr Award
2000s
2000: Peter Robinson wins Edgar for EQMM story; EQMM stories win Anthony, Macavity, Shamus, and Derringer awards
2001: Edward D. Hoch named MWA Grand Master; first appearances Charlaine Harris, Margaret Maron
2002: Raymond Steiber wins Edgar for EQMM story; EQMM stories win Derringer and Arthur Ellis awards; Janet Hutchings co-wins Ellery Queen Award
2003: Passport to Crime department begins; EQMM stories win Barry, Derringer, Macavity, and Robert L. Fish awards; Janet Hutchings wins Bouchercon Contributions to Field award
2004: EQMM runs tie-ins to Secret Window movie, based on Stephen King story about EQMM writer, including interviews with King and Timothy Hutton; EQMM stories win Derringer and Macavity awards
2005: EQMM celebrates EQ centenary with special features; symposium and exhibit held at Columbia University; EQMM stories win Macavity, Barry, and Robert L. Fish Memorial awards
2006: Special “Salute to New Orleans” benefit issue appears, post Hurricane Katrina; EQMM stories win Arthur Ellis, Barry, and Robert L. Fish Memorial awards
2007: EQMM stories win Agatha and Barry awards
2008: Black Mask department reinstated; EQMM story wins Derringer; Janet Hutchings co-wins Poirot Award
2009: EQMM stories win Shamus, Derringer, Arthur Ellis, and Thriller awards; Podcast series begins; EQMM’s first major digital editions appear in addition to the print format; Clark Howard wins Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer
2010s
2010: Doug Allyn wins Edgar for EQMM story; EQMM stories win Agatha, Arthur Ellis, Barry, International Thriller, Robert L. Fish Memorial, Dagger, and Derringer awards
2011: Peter Turnbull wins Edgar for EQMM story; EQMM stories win Agatha, Macavity, Anthony, Robert L. Fish, International Thriller, Shamus, and Derringer awards; Steve Steinbock begins as The Jury Box columnist
2012: EQMM stories win Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer awards; Something Is Going to Happen, the EQMM editor’s blog, is launched
2013: EQMM stories win Agatha, Macavity, Arthur Ellis, Thriller, and Colorado Authors’ League awards
2014: EQMM stories win Agatha, Robert L. Fish Memorial, and Derringer awards
2015: EQMM stories win Derringer, Thriller, and Robert L. Fish Memorial awards.
2016: EQMM celebrates its 75th anniversary, with special issues and a Symposium held at Columbia University. The anniversary issue includes tales by Joyce Carol Oates, Jeffery Deaver, Charlaine Harris, Margaret Maron, and Peter Robinson and features a new cover by Milton Glaser. At this time, one story from EQMM has won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award and one has been nominated for an Edgar Award.