Happy Birthday! JK Rowling Turns 51 Years Old

Lumos maxima! Let's all wish author JK Rowling an enlightening day as she's celebrating her 51st birthday today.

Born in July 1965, Joanne "Jo" Rowling grew up in Gloucestershire with parents Peter and Anne Rowling. The oldest child, Rowling grew up in cozy villages where she discovered her love of writing. In fact, Rowling would often read her newest stories to her sister, and she continued to pursue her interested in writing during university. Having attended University of Exeter, Rowling read for a Bachelors in French and Classics.

Of course, the author obviously best-known for having written the Harry Potter books. Having completed her first manuscript in 1995, Rowling went on to pitch the series to over a dozen publishers only to be rejected. It was eventually Bloomsbury who agreed to publish the series, and today, Harry Potter is now the best-selling book series of all-time. And, what's more, the books spawned off a hugely popular film franchise based upon the books which is now recognized as the second highest-grossing film series in history.

Often described as introverted, the immensely gifted writer has inspired an entirely new generation of authors who've grown up with Rowling's books. Beyond her children's literature, Rowling has gone on to publish several titles for adult readers like The Casual Vacancy. And, under a pseudonym, Rowling released The Cuckoo's Calling, The Silkworm, and Career of Evil. Most recently, Rowling has returned to the Harry Potter universe through Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The upcoming 8th book is actually a script Rowling wrote for the franchise's first on-stage production. And, beyond that, Rowling has been working on new Harry Potter film spin-offs, Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Happy birthday, JK Rowling! We hope it's a magical one!