It was first written as a short story called "The Fireman" for Galaxy Science Fiction volume 1 number 5 in 1951. It was later made into a novel in 1953 where the paperback actually came out a month or so before the hardcover. There is a reason why schools make you read classic works.
The story was first published (in a shorter form) in 1951. The story of a futuristic, hedonistic society in which critical thought through reading is outlawed is a classic, which is why it continues to be a staple of school reading lists.
In 1951, Bradbury published a story called "The Fireman". He later republished the work as "Fahrenheit 451". A movie about the book first came out in 1966. It is old, and everyone has to read it!
