What exact date was The Catcher in the Rye published as a novel?

The Catcher in the Rye was published as a novel on July 16, 1951.

Little, Brown and Company issued Salinger’s book in the United States on that date. The first edition presented a 16-year-old Holden Caulfield recounting his experiences after leaving Pencey Preparatory School and before entering a treatment facility, framing the story as a retrospective account.

The July 1951 publication followed years of development. Salinger had been writing about Holden since the 1940s, and earlier stories such as “I’m Crazy” and “Slight Rebellion off Madison” helped establish the character before the full novel appeared. The book quickly became a major commercial and cultural success.

Readers sometimes confuse the exact date with the broader year, 1951, or with dates associated with later paperback editions, British editions, and adaptations. December 21, 1946, predates the novel and relates to neither its first book publication nor its completed form. The date in this question refers to the original U.S. novel release.