On what date did J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel reach UK bookstores?

J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel reached UK bookstores on 26 June 1997.

Bloomsbury published Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone as Rowling’s first novel. The book introduced the fictional world of Hogwarts and quickly attracted attention from children, parents, booksellers, and reviewers. Its publication began one of the most commercially successful literary franchises in modern publishing.

The date is sometimes confused with later publication dates. The second novel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, appeared in 1998, while the seventh and final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was published in 2007.

American readers know the first volume as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. That alternate title does not change the British publication date, which remains 26 June 1997.