Thousands of fans braved heavy rain as they waited in London's Leicester Square for the launch of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, many camping overnight in order to get a good spot.
The Black Friday frenzy was still alive and well in some places, like the Toys " R" Us store in New York's Times Square, but there may have been a bit of nostalgia at play.
It was a call for economic and racial equality, a call to action that brought more than 200,000 people to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on August 28th, 60 years ago.
Mallinson, who had been somberly enduring these pleasantries, now interposed with something of the shrill acerbity of the barrack square. " Our stay won't be long, " he announced curtly.