J.K. Rowling Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter's US Launch

Twenty years ago, today, American readers were introduced to Harry Potter with the first American [...]

By Nicole Drum

Twenty years ago, today, American readers were introduced to Harry Potter with the first American publication of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and author J.K. Rowling is celebrating the milestone.

In a post to Twitter today, Rowling wrote that she was sending "lots of love to American Potterheads" on the momentous occasion. You can check out her tweet below.

"Harry Potter was first published in the US 20 years ago today, so I'm sending lots of love to American Potterheads, who've given me some of the most memorable moments of my Potter-related life!" Rowling wrote.

Now, it's important to recognize that Rowling is specifically celebrating the release of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in the United States. The book was initially released as "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" in the United Kingdom on June 26, 1997.

The book quickly became a phenomenon, spawning six sequels, eight films, and remains the best-selling book series in history with more than 500 million copies sold. The world Rowling created with Harry Potter has also grown beyond the original series, with the supplemental "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" itself becoming a popular film series -- the second installment of which, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, is due out in November -- as well as the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Harry Potter remains a deeply significant and influential work of literature even two decades on and it wasn't just Rowling that took to Twitter to mark the occasion The Boy Who Lived was introduced to American readers. Fans also took a moment to express how much the books meant to them and the ways it's changed their lives. We've collected some of our favorite reactions below.

What about you? How do you feel about the twentieth anniversary of Harry Potter's American debut? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

A treasured memory

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A world to escape to

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The most important piece of fiction

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A love of reading thanks to Harry

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Life-changing

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Masterful

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Proud

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