Books

13 Significant Dates For Harry Potter Fans

by Alex Weiss

July 31 isn't just any average day for a Harry Potter fan; it's practically a holiday. Every average calendar marks the dates of significant holidays like New Year's Eve, Halloween, Christmas, and Easter. But for huge Harry Potter fans, you can always count on there being at least one important date pertaining to the world of HP per month. I know I can always count on my fantastic roommate — who has read the series more times that I can count — to make sure our favorite characters' birthdays are accounted for.

Not every date is happy, since J.K. Rowling didn't let all of her amazing and wonderful characters live to tell the tale, but of course, you already know that. And since the magical story of Harry Potter will never truly end — especially now that James Sirius Potter is attending Hogwarts — we all have to keep up with the Wizarding world calendar. So if you're wondering if there are any important Harry Potter related dates coming up, I've got you covered. From the tragic Battle of Hogwarts to the day the wise and lovable Hermione was born, here are all the dates you need to know as the truest Harry Potter fans:

July 31, 1980 — Birth Of Harry James Potter (And J.K. Rowling's Birthday)

March 1, 1980 — Birth Of Ronald Bilius Weasley

September 19, 1979 — Birth of Hermione Jean Granger

August 11, 1981 — Birth of Ginny Weasley

October 31, 1981 — Death of Lily and James Potter

July 24, 1991 — Harry Receives His First Letter From Hogwarts

September 1, 1991 — Harry, Ron, And Hermione Enter Hogwarts For The First Time

June 17, 1996 — Death of Sirius Black, 2nd Wizarding War officially begins according to the Ministry of Magic

June 26, 1997 — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Was Released

June 30, 1997 — Death of Albus Perceval Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

May 2, 1998 — Battle of Hogwarts, Death of Voldemort (and many other characters)

July 21, 2007 — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Was Released

September 1, 2015 — James Sirius Potter Starts School At Hogwarts

Images: Alberto Alvarez-Perea/flickr; giphy (14)