Short answers, pulled from the story.
Osamu Tezuka first introduced the character Atom in April 1951 as a supporting figure within his comic series Ambassador Atom. The monthly magazine Shōnen published this early version before Tezuka launched a dedicated serialization of Astro Boy in 1952.
Scientist Umataro Tenma creates an android boy named Tobio after losing his real son in a car accident. Dr. Tenma eventually rejected Astro and sold him to a cruel circus owner named Hamegg before Professor Ochanomizu saved the boy from servitude and became his legal guardian.
The first popular Japanese animated television series premiered on Fuji TV on New Year's Day 1963 with 193 total episodes. At the height of its popularity, the show was watched by 40% of the Japanese population who had access to television.
On the 7th of April 2003, one day after the premiere of the 2003 anime in Japan, the city of Niiza registered the character as a resident. That same day the JR Yamanote Line platform at JR Takadanobaba Station started using theme music from the TV series to signal train departures.
Astro Boy has sold approximately 100 million copies worldwide making it Tezuka's best-selling manga. By 2004, the franchise had generated tens of millions of dollars in merchandise sales including action figures and trading cards.