Profile of the Day: J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling

Happy birthday, J.K. Rowling! Today the Harry Potter author turns 53. The day also marks Harry Potter’s birthday!

On July 31, 1965, Joanne Rowling was born in Yate, Gloucestershire, England. She later adopted the pen name “J.K. Rowling,” incorporating her paternal grandmother’s name, Kathleen, for the second initial.

From a young age, Rowling frequently wrote stories of fantasy. When she began writing the first Harry Potter book, Rowling was a single mother and struggling financially. However, her circumstances significantly changed after she finally published the first of seven books in the Harry Potter series. Within five years, Rowling became one of the wealthiest people in the UK. Beloved worldwide, the Harry Potter series has been read by children and adults throughout the world. It has sold over 400 million copies and has been translated into over 60 languages.

Have you read the Harry Potter books? Which is your favorite?

Explore J.K. Rowling’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related to the author!
 

View J.K. Rowling’s Geni Profile

Image: Daniel Ogren, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)