when did harry potter books come out
Here’s a quick, clear timeline of when the Harry Potter books came out.
Core answer
The Harry Potter novels were published between 1997 and 2007.
Here are the original release dates in the UK and US.
Main series release dates
| # | Book title | UK release date | US release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Sorcerer’s Stone in the US) | 26 June 1997 | [7][5]1 September 1998 | [5][7]
| 2 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | 2 July 1998 | [7][5]2 June 1999 | [5][7]
| 3 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | 8 July 1999 | [7][5]8 September 1999 | [5][7]
| 4 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | 8 July 2000 | [7][5]8 July 2000 | [5][7]
| 5 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | 21 June 2003 | [7][5]21 June 2003 | [5][7]
| 6 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | 16 July 2005 | [7][5]16 July 2005 | [5][7]
| 7 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | 21 July 2007 | [7][5]21 July 2007 | [5][7]
Quick Scoop-style recap
- The first book hit shelves in the UK on 26 June 1997, kicking off the whole phenomenon.
- New books arrived almost yearly at first (1998, 1999, 2000), then with bigger gaps as the story grew darker and longer.
- The final book, Deathly Hallows , landed worldwide on 21 July 2007, wrapping up the original saga.
From 1997 to 2007, readers literally grew up alongside Harry, waiting in midnight lines as each new book dropped and the series became a massive cultural event.
Extra: later follow‑ups
- Script book Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was published on 31 July 2016.
- Several companion eBooks (like Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide) also arrived in 2016, expanding the lore for fans.
TL;DR:
The main Harry Potter books came out between 1997 and 2007, starting with
Philosopher’s Stone in June 1997 and ending with Deathly Hallows in July
2007.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.