How Did She Get Famous? Born Joanne Rowling on July 31, 1965, in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, Rowling loved writing from a young age, penning her first story about a bunny at just six years old.
J.K. Rowling went from living in poverty as a single mom struggling to make ends meet to becoming one of the wealthiest authors in the world, thanks to the global phenomenon that is Harry Potter.