when did cliff notes come out

February 26, 2026 • 1 min read

CliffsNotes (often miscalled “Cliff Notes”) first came out in 1958 in the United States.

Quick Scoop

CliffsNotes were created by Clifton Hillegass, who launched the series in 1958 after acquiring U.S. rights to a similar Canadian study guide series called Coles Notes.

The very first CliffsNotes were produced in his basement in Lincoln, Nebraska, starting with 16 Shakespeare titles.

By the end of that first year, more than 58,000 copies had already been sold, showing how quickly they caught on with students.

TL;DR: CliffsNotes “came out” in 1958, beginning as a basement operation focused on Shakespeare study guides.

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Kandhan

Written by Kandhan

"A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors." — This philosophy guides my writing and exploration of ideas.