Scholastic looks at Harry Potter through the decade

by · December 15, 2009

Undoubtedly, one of the greatest phenomenons of the past decade has been the Harry Potter series. To reflect on Potter's numerous achievements, Scholastic has issued a press released detailing lots of interesting dates and US sale figures. Below are a sample:

July 8, 2000: 3.8 million – the record-breaking initial print-run of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

July 11, 2000: 3 million – copies sold in the first weekend from the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, breaking all publishing sales records.

March, 12, 2001: Release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages with net proceeds to benefit Comic Relief, UK.

June 21, 2003: 6.8 million – the record-breaking initial print-run of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

June 22, 2003: 5 million – copies sold in the first 24 hours following the release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, breaking all publishing records.

July 16, 2005: 10.8 million – the record-breaking initial print-run of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

July 17, 2005: 6.9 million – copies sold in the first 24 hours following the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, breaking all publishing records.

For more about the past decade in Harry Potter, visit Scholastic's media page. You may recall that two years ago MuggleNet published a Decade in Review area featuring a detailed timeline of the Potter franchise from 1997 to 2007. It will be updated and republished soon to encapsulate 1997 – today.