When was British author J.K. Rowling born?

J.K. Rowling was born on 31 July 1965. She was born Joanne Rowling at Cottage Hospital in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, and grew up nearby in Tutshill. Her birth date later became associated with Harry Potter because the fictional Harry also celebrates his birthday on 31 July.

Rowling attended Wyedean School and College before studying French and Classics at the University of Exeter. After graduation she worked in several jobs, including for Amnesty International, before developing the idea for a boy wizard during a delayed train journey in 1990.

Biographies sometimes discuss the added initial “K”: Rowling did not originally have a middle name, and the publisher requested a second initial for the Harry Potter books. She chose “K” for Kathleen, her paternal grandmother.