The first Harry Potter book was published on 26 June 1997 in the United Kingdom.

Quick Scoop

  • Original UK title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
  • UK publication date: 26 June 1997, by Bloomsbury in London.
  • US release: 1 September 1998, retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by Scholastic.
  • It’s widely regarded as the starting point of the modern Harry Potter phenomenon, which later became the best‑selling fantasy series and a huge film franchise.

In other words, the wizarding world “officially” arrived for readers on 26 June 1997—long before movie premieres, theme parks, and viral fandom posts.

TL;DR: The first Harry Potter book came out on 26 June 1997 in the UK (and on 1 September 1998 in the US under a different title).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.