On what date did the Pokémon franchise begin with Pocket Monsters Red and Green in Japan?

The Pokémon franchise began with Pocket Monsters Red and Green in Japan on February 27, 1996.

Those Game Boy role-playing games were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. They introduced the central Pokémon formula: exploring a region, catching creatures, training them, battling other Trainers, and trading with friends.

The original Japanese releases were later followed by an enhanced Blue version. For international markets, the games were reworked and released as Pokémon Red and Blue, helping the franchise expand beyond Japan from 1998 onward.

February 27 is now celebrated annually as Pokémon Day. It marks the anniversary of the original games rather than the debut of the television anime, which began in Japan in 1997. The franchise later expanded into an anime series, films, the trading card game, manga, merchandise, and mobile games.