J. K. Rowling is a British writer and author of the Harry Potter fantasy series. The Potter books have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, and sold nearly 400 million copies. The 2007 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling's fortune at ¬£545 million, ranking her as the 136th richest person and the 13th richest woman in Britain. Forbes has named Rowling the second-richest female entertainer in the world, and ranked her as the 48th most powerful celebrity of 2007. Time named Rowling as a runner-up for their 2007 Person of the Year noting the social, moral, and political inspiration she has given her fandom. She has become a notable philanthropist, supporting such charities as Comic Relief, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and One Parent Families. Harry Potter is now a global brand worth an estimated $15 billion (£7 billion), and the last four Harry Potter books have consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history. The series, totalling 4,195 pages, has been translated, in whole or in part, into 65 languages.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1241: Mongol invasion of Europe: Mongols led by Batu Khan and Subutai crushed the Hungarian army of King Béla IV at the Battle of Mohi near the Sajó River in Hungary. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mohi)

1713: The main agreements of the Treaty of Utrecht were signed in the Dutch city of Utrecht, helping to end the War of the Spanish Succession. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Utrecht)

1888: The Concertgebouw concert hall in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, was inaugurated. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concertgebouw_%28Amsterdam%29)

1945: World War II: American forces liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar, Germany. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buchenwald_concentration_camp)

1979: Ugandan-Tanzanian War: The Uganda National Liberation Army and Tanzanian forces captured Kampala, forcing Ugandan President Idi Amin to flee. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idi_Amin_Dada)

2002: In a coup attempt, members of the Venezuelan military detained President Hugo Ch√°vez and demanded his resignation. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Venezuelan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_attempt)

_____________________ Wiktionary's Word of the day:

shoehorn: To exert great effort to insert or include something; to insert by force or extreme measures. (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shoehorn)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free. -- Charles Evans Hughes (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Evans_Hughes)