Hello Kitty is one of the most recognizable characters on Earth, printed on everything from lunchboxes to airplanes.
Here are 10 verified facts you may not know.
Hello Kitty was created by the Japanese company Sanrio and first appeared on a coin purse in 1974-1975.
Her official name within her fictional world is Kitty White.
According to Sanrio's backstory, Hello Kitty lives in the suburbs of London, England — not Japan.
Sanrio has said Hello Kitty is depicted as a cheerful little girl, a character rather than simply a pet cat.
Hello Kitty deliberately has no drawn mouth; Sanrio has explained this lets people project their own emotions onto her.
Her first designer was Yuko Shimizu, and later designers, including Yuko Yamaguchi, shaped her look over the decades.
Hello Kitty has a twin sister named Mimmy, who wears her bow on the opposite side.
The character anchors a massive global merchandising business spanning thousands of products.
Hello Kitty has appeared in collaborations with major brands, theme parks, and even had aircraft liveries.
In 2014, ahead of her 40th anniversary, Sanrio's clarification that Hello Kitty is 'not a cat' but a little girl made international headlines.
We write every article to be genuinely fun — and genuinely true. Each fact is checked against reputable sources before it goes live. Spotted something off? Tell us and read our fact-check policy.
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