But, what’s Hello Kitty’s origin story? Let’s cut a long story short. Created by Sanrio employee Yuko Shimizu in 1974, Hello Kitty did not – as many imagine – begin life as a cartoon.

let’s take a minute to reacquaint ourselves with the animated icon’s history in pop culture. After Sanrio introduced her ...

A gold coin pendant with the image of Hello Kitty holding the number 50 is selling for about 120,000 yen ($800), while a Casio watch costs 18,700 yen ($120). But first, more on the origin story.

And, of course, London now has its own piece of Hello Kitty history too – a pop-up cafe where even the topiary features Kitty’s inscrutable face. “The buzz among the fans has been crazy ...

However, the Hello Kitty design far outsold the others ... You can hear Yuko Shimizu's full interview on BBC World Service's Witness History on BBC Sounds - it's the episode from 28 June.

Total sales for open-world adventure game Hello Kitty Island Adventure have surpassed 500,000 units just 30 days after its ...

Puma released a new limited-edition Hello Kitty & Friends sneaker collection to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the beloved Japanese character. You and all your friends are going to want a wear pair ...