J.K. Rowling was born on 31 July 1965. Her birthplace was Yate, Gloucestershire, England, near Bristol, and she grew up partly in nearby Winterbourne and Tutshill.
Rowling’s birth date is sometimes confused with dates connected to Harry Potter. Harry’s fictional birthday is 31 July, making the date an intentional shared detail between author and character. The first Harry Potter novel later turned that date into a familiar piece of series lore.
Rowling attended Wyedean School and College before studying French and the classics at the University of Exeter. She worked in several jobs, including for Amnesty International, before completing the manuscript that became Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
The date is also distinct from the publication dates of the Harry Potter books, which appeared over a decade. Rowling’s career therefore links one stable biographical date with a much larger fictional calendar.