Monday, July 31, 2006

 

Spotlight: Happy birthday to J.K. Rowling and her most famous creation, Harry Potter. Rowling turns 41 today. Harry celebrated his 11th birthday when he first burst onto the scene in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1997) and was 16 in his latest book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005). Rowling was unemployed and living off public assistance when she wrote the first book in the series. The books were such a hit that within a few years Rowling had become one of England's richest women and one of the world's most successful writers. Rowling is currently at work on the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series.

Quote: "It is important to remember that we all have magic inside us." – J.K. Rowling

Today's News:

• Nickelodeon: tells kids to eschew TV, go out and play — sometimes (story)
• chronic pain: researchers find controlling enzyme (story)
• sales tax: more US states adopt holidays (story)
• SMS: Utah teen sets speed-texting record (story)
• International Space Station: US may suspend research in 2007 due to budget crunch (story)

Today's History:

• Trinidad: island in the Caribbean was discovered by Columbus (1498)
• potash: first US patent was granted to Samuel Hopkins, for his process of making potassium compound used in soap, glass and fertilizer (1790)
• NYSE: closed due to the outbreak of World War I, but opened again 4 months later to help the war effort by selling bonds (1914)
• Hebrew University: terrorist bombing in Jerusalem campus cafeteria killed nine people, among them five Americans (2002)

Today's Birthdays:

• Primo Levi: Italian chemist and writer (1919-1987)
• Gary Lewis: singer, Gary Lewis and the Playboys (60)
• Wesley Snipes: star of Demolition Man, Blade (44)
• Dean Cain: Superman on Lois and Clark (40)