Hello Kitty turns 50 on Friday. Befitting a pop icon at midlife, the bubble-headed, bow-wearing character’s fictional birthday has brought museum exhibits, a theme park spectacle and a national tour.

TOKYO — When she came to life in 1974, she was a kitty without a name, sitting sideways in blue overalls and a big red bow, on a coin purse for Japanese girls. On Saturday, fans around the world ...

TOKYO (CBS/AP) -- When she came to life in 1974, she was a kitty without a name, sitting sideways in blue overalls and a big red bow, on a coin purse for Japanese girls. On Saturday, fans around the ...

The TV can show Kitty’s face as a background picture for enhanced cuteness. This is the remote. It’s shaped like Kitty’s ribbon. Isn’t that adorable? Sized at 414mm×372mm×149mm, the Hello Kitty TV ...

The soft, sparse outline of Hello Kitty was first sketched by Yuko Shimizu in 1974. Having just graduated from Tokyo’s Musashino Art University, the young designer was working for Japanese toy giant ...