Which volume of The Chronicles of Narnia was published first?

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the first published volume of The Chronicles of Narnia.

C.S. Lewis's novel appeared in 1950 and introduces the world of Narnia through the Pevensie children: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Lucy discovers Narnia by entering a wardrobe, and the children become involved in the struggle between Aslan and the White Witch.

The book was published before the other six Narnia novels. Lewis later wrote The Magician's Nephew as a prequel, and modern editions sometimes number it first because it tells the story of Narnia's creation. That chronological reading order differs from the original publication order.

The first book's success led to six further novels published between 1951 and 1956. Together they form The Chronicles of Narnia, although the stories vary in setting, cast, and narrative focus. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe remains the entry point most closely associated with the series and with Lewis's imaginative presentation of good, evil, sacrifice, and restoration.