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J.K. Rowling was born at Yate General Hospital in Gloucestershire, England. She was born to Peter and Anne Rowling. She was born as Joanne Rowling, with no middle name.
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J.K. Rowling writes her first book at age 6 about a rabbit with measles.
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J. K. Rowling's family moves to Winterbourne. Joanne and her little sister Di meet a street gang, including an Ian and Vikki POTTER. Ian likes to hide SLUGS on picnic plates and booby traps on his sister's bike. Joanne, Di, and Vikki all like to dress up as WITCHES.
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Joanne's family moves to Tutshill, near Chepstow in Wales. Joanne hates her new school, but passes time through reading books, such as E. Nesbit, Noel Streatfield, Paul Gallico's Manxmouse, C.S. Lewis' Narnia series and Elizabeth Goudge's Little White Horse.
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Joanne writes her second story about seven cursed diamonds at age nine.
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Starts at Wyedean Comprehensive, not a private school, although nearby Wyedean School has Houses named Armstrong, Bannister, Chichester and Hillary. Her best and oldest "foulweather friend" is Sean Harris (the basis for RON WEASLEY). Describes herself as "Hermoine".
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Mother diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
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Rowling becomes Head Girl, or lead pupil, at Wyedean Comprehensive.
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Goes to University of Exeter to study French and classics.
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Spends one year in Paris as teaching assistant as part of degree.
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Graduates, then works briefly as a research assistant for Amnesty International and shares a flat in Clapham, South London. Writes during lunch hours in pubs and cafes. At least two novels for adults are conceived at this time.
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Secretarial work in Manchester, but hates it. Uses time to type stories on computer.
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On a train journey from Manchester to KING'S CROSS in London, Harry Potter the character strides "fully formed" into her head, and she starts to create the whole world of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry around him. Unfortunately, she has no pen or paper, so she commits it all to memory.
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Mother dies at age 45 of multiple sclerosis.
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Rowling, 26, goes off to teach English as a foreign language in Oporto, Portugal. Writes ten different first chapters for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Invents names of Hogwarts Houses on the back of an airsickness bag.
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Marries Portuguese television journalist.
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Gives birth to daughter, Jessica, named after Rowling's idol, author and activist Jessica Mitford
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J.K. Rowling divorces, returns to Britain with baby Jessica; heads for Edinburgh, Scotland, where sister Di lives, carrying half a suitcase of Harry Potter stories. Di, who used to be a nurse, is studying law.
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Tells Di the story of Harry Potter. Fortunately, Di loves it. Rowling is living in one-bedroom flat, can't get a place in state-sponsored day care for Jessica, and can't afford private child care without a job. Experiences brief period of severe depression (inspiring the DEMENTORS who suck happy memories from mortals and drive them to despair). Joanne writes Harry Potter stories on notepads.
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Finishes writing book and types manuscript on old £40 ($63) typewriter. Can't afford to photocopy the manuscript, so types it out all over again. Goes to library and looks up the names of agents and publishers. Sends manuscript to two agents and one publisher.
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Works as French teacher while waiting to hear about her manuscript. Agent Christopher Little finds the right publisher, Bloomsbury.
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Scottish Arts Council gives her a record grant for a children's author, £8,000 ($13,000). Rowling buys a computer in order to finish the second book, Harry Potter and the Chambers of Secrets.
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is published in Britain.
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An auction in New York sees the U.S. rights to the book eventually bought for $105,000, an unheard-of amount for a children's author. Rowling buys 100 pound ($160) jacket to wear for interviews.
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets published in Britain.
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets won the 1999 Federation of Children's Book Groups Children's Book Awards. The award is unique in that children are the testers and decide the winner.
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Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban published in Britain, knocking Thomas Harris' Hannibal out of the No. 1 spot on the bestseller list.
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Warner Bros. buys the film rights to the first two books. Rowling demands that they be live-action movies, not animations, and that she have script approval. She says that she's particularly looking forward to seeing Quidditch matches on the big screen and she hopes that Hagrid will be played by Robbie Coltrane. Mattel Inc., of Barbie fame, buys the merchandising rights to Harry Potter.
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Book four, tentatively titled Harry Potter and the Doomspell Tournament (published as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), to be published simultaneously in Britain and the United States!
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The movie based on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is released simultaneously in Britain and the United States. Earned over $90 million U.S. dollars in first weekend; a record breaker.
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The movie based on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is released simultaneously in Britain and the United States. Earned over $90 million U.S. dollars in first weekend; a record breaker.
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Joanne marries Dr. Neil Murray in private ceremony at her Riverside mansion
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Set date for the release of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in movie theatres for Britain and United States.
