Harry Potter: 25 Fun Facts About the Wizarding World

What is the Accurate Time Frame of the Series?

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The first Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) was released in the U.K. on June 26, 1997. It was then released in 1998 in the United States before becoming an absolute phenomenon. The first film came out in 2001. However, the timeline of the story itself is quite different. As it goes in the novels, the actual storyline takes place between 1991-98. However, the first chapter of the book (the scene in which Hagrid drives a baby Harry to Privet Drive) takes place in 1981. This means that Harry’s birthday technically was on July 31, 1980.