Phew. Looks like just the wall plug-in adapter died. I have it plugged in to a UCB port on my computer, and it is slowly recharging now. (And it did not recharge at all after 3 1/2 hours plugged into the wall. I know it's not the cable that's the problem, because when I plugged it in to the computer, it recognized it. Last time this happened, it was the cable.)
Glad it was the plugin adapter! I've had that happen with my phone--I thought it was fatally messed up, but it turned out it was only my charger that had died.
I dropped my first Kindle in the washing machine the day before we left for Ireland last year. It was instantly dead with no chance of revival. I was devastated! Fortunately, a friend loaned me his to take on my trip because I don't know how to live without mine any more.