British novelist, J.K Rowling turns 47 today.

The "Harry Potter" creator is the first person in history to become a billionaire solely from writing books.

Prior to penning the fantasy, Rowling was a struggling single mother on welfare living in Edinburgh, Scotland. Rowling sent out numerous manuscripts and was rejected by several publishing houses. Finally, Bloomsbury, a small publisher based in London, took a chance and agreed to buy the book.

Since the debut of "Harry Potter and the Scorer's Stone" in 1997, there have been seven follow up books--which have sold a combined 450 million copies worldwide. A film version of the first book was released in 2001. A total of eight films based on the series have been released. They have earned a combined total of $8 billion at the global box office.

Rowling gave Harry Potter the same birthday as herself. According to the books, the Hogwarts pupil was born on July 31, 1980.

Rowling's new book, "The Casual Vacancy," is set to be released on Sept. 27.

Harry Potter
Students were banned from reading "Harry Potter" books at a school in Australia. Reuters
JK Rowling
J.K. Rowling's new book, "The Casual Vacancy," hits bookstores on Sept. 27. Reuters
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part 2
"Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2" has been nominated in several categories for the MTV Movie Awards, including Movie of the Year, Best Kiss, and Best Male Performance. Warner Bros.
JK Rowlings The Casual Vacancy
J.K. Rowling’s “The Casual Vacancy” was released on Thursday. Hachette India
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