Twitter Praises J.K. Rowling For 20 Years Of ‘Harry Potter’

On June 26, 1997, the worlds of literature and pop culture would collide, and many lives would be changed forever.

20 years ago, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released into bookstores across the UK, starting an international phenomenon. The next year, the Harry Potter craze went even further when the book was released in the US under the name Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Since then, author JK Rowling‘s franchise has become one of the most well-known franchises on the planet. All seven books in the original series we bestsellers, the eight-film franchise broke several box office records, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a person around who didn’t know about the young wizard’s legacy.

Rowling tweeted about the milestone, thanking fans for the incredible ride that the last 20 years have been.

Following that message, social media went wild about Potter, taking to Twitter to thank Rowling for the world that she created and what it has meant to everyone.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros.

Life-Changing

Some people turn to books or movies when they need help, and Harry Potter gave millions of people an escape from reality.

Not only was it great entertainment, but the Harry Potter franchise taught people life lessons along the way. Fans had the chance to learn about friendship, loyalty, and how looking out for others will always be the right choice to make.

More than any of that, Harry Potter gave people hope. A young woman created an entire brand from nothing, and three adolescent friends found a way to change their worlds forever. 

JK Rowling, with the help of Harry, Ron & Hermoine, taught people that they could do anything.

Individual Moments

For some fans, the entire Harry Potter was a major part of their lives. For others, there were certain scenes or characters that brought them more joy than others.

Whether it was Hermonie’s wit, or Harry’s determination to see love defeat evil, everyone had certain pieces of the Potter-verse that meant more to them.

Two Harry Potters

JK Rowling also celebrated the occasion by throwing fans for a loop last week, when she revealed there were actually two Harry Potters in existence.

Over on Pottermore, Rowling stunned fans when she confessed Harry Potter wasn’t the only – well – Harry Potter. The author took to the site to share a rundown of the magical Potter clan, and Rowling revealed there was another Harry Potter who proceeded the boy wizard.

When it comes to Harry Potter, there was a man who bore the name back in the 1900s. Formally named Henry Potter, Rowling’s newly revealed character was known most commonly as Harry Potter to his “intimates.”

You can read up on what Rowling has to say about Harry Potter 1.0 below:

“Henry Potter (Harry to his intimates), who was a direct descendant of Hardwin and Iolanthe, and served on the Wizengamot from 1913 – 1921. Henry caused a minor stir when he publicly condemned then Minister for Magic, Archer Evermonde, who had forbidden the magical community to help Muggles waging the First World War. His outspokenness on the behalf of the Muggle community was also a strong contributing factor in the family’s exclusion from the ‘Sacred Twenty-Eight’.”