Nickelodeon held a preview for the series in the United States on May 1, 1999, following the television airing of the 1999 Kids' Choice Awards. The series officially premiered on July 17, 1999. It has received worldwide critical acclaim since its premiere and gained enormous popularity by its second season. A feature film, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, was released in theaters on November 19, 2004, and a sequel was released on February 6, 2015. In 2017, the series began airing its eleventh season and was renewed for a twelfth season.\n\nAnswer this question based on the passage: when was the first sponge bob episode made? OK. Let's think. My stream of consciousness:
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The important part for answering this question is: The series officially premiered on July 17, 1999. The answer is July 17 , 1999.
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