Five children find golden tickets in Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The tickets are hidden inside ordinary chocolate bars made by Willy Wonka. Each ticket grants one child entry to Wonka’s mysterious factory, along with a chance to receive a special prize. The five winners are Charlie Bucket, Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde and Mike Teavee.
Charlie is the final child to find a ticket, after the other four winners have already attracted worldwide attention. Their different personalities and behaviour drive much of the book’s plot, as each child encounters a consequence linked to a personal flaw.
The number is sometimes confused with the four children who visit Wonka’s factory alongside Charlie. That count excludes Charlie himself; the complete group contains five children. Dahl published the novel in 1964, and its title was changed to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory in some editions and adaptations.