Every kid knows the name of the cute white kitten with a big red ribbon in her hair. And it has always been the dream of small little girls to own each and every single one of Hello Kitty's merchandise. That's not surprising - because this cuddly character is known throughout the world.
Contrary to popular beliefs, Hello Kitty is actually born in London, England on November 1, 1974. Kitty is a fictional character created by Sanrio, which is a Japanese company. Kitty was supposed to be named as "Kitty White". Kitty White is the name of one of Alice's cats in the Lewis Carroll book, "Through the Looking Glass". But because the British culture was very popular among the Japanese during that time, the company renamed her character to "Hello Kitty".
Sanrio created not just Hello Kitty but her family as well. In fact, Kitty has a twin sister, Mimi. They look pretty much alike - except Mimi wears her ribbon on her right ear. Kitty wears hers on the left. Kitty and Mimi's mom and dad were Mary and George. Anthony is their grandpa and Margaret is their grandma.
In 1999, Hello Kitty introduced her boyfriend to the whole world, Daniel. Daniel was adapted from the 1971 movie entitled "Melody". Soon after, a series of Hello Kitty's other friends and pets were launched. And even if Hello Kitty is a cat herself, she too has a kitten for a pet, called Charmmy Kitty and a hamster named Sugar. Story has it that Charmmy Kitty was given to her by her father and Sugar was a present from Daniel.
Hello Kitty has come a long way from being a fictional character into somebody everybody loves. Hello Kitty merchandise had transitioned from simple stationery and plush toys to fashion jewelry and clothing. And right now, there's a Hello Kitty credit card, a Hello Kitty guitar, and the biggest surprise of all, the Hello Kitty car. Surely, Hello Kitty certainly is not just for kids anymore.
