J.R.R. Tolkien Birthday (Date, Age, How Old)

Background

On January 3, 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Arthur Reuel Tolkien and Mabel Tolkien were his parents, with his father working as a bank manager. His younger brother, Hilary Arthur Tolkien, was born on February 17, 1894. At the age of three, he traveled to England alongside his mother and brother for a family visit. Sadly, his father passed away in South Africa before he could reunite with them.

They subsequently relocated to Birmingham, England, where they lived with his mother’s parents. Tolkien developed an interest in plants and nature, thanks to his mother’s enthusiasm for botany. Drawing trees and landscapes was a favorite pastime of his, and he cultivated a passion for languages as well. His mother introduced him to Latin, and he learned to read and write at an exceptionally young age. Tolkien was an avid reader, and the influences from the books he read would later shape his own writings. In 1904, at the age of 12, he experienced the loss of his mother, after which a Catholic priest assumed responsibility for him and his brother.

Tolkien received his education at King Edward’s School in Birmingham, followed by Exeter College in Oxford, where he graduated in 1915. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the British Army on July 15, 1915, during the First World War and left active service on July 16, 1919, fully departing from the army in 1920. From 1920 to 1925, Tolkien worked as a lecturer in English Language and Literature at the University of Leeds, and later he taught at the University of Oxford from 1925 until 1959.

In private, Tolkien crafted a collection of fantasy tales set in a fictional universe he called “The Legendarium,” which later became known as “The Silmarillion.” Additionally, he wrote a series of stories for his children, which included “The Hobbit.” A friend from a London publishing firm read “The Hobbit” in 1936 and encouraged him to submit it for publication, leading to its release the following year. The book’s immense popularity prompted the publishers to request a sequel.

This demand for a sequel inspired Tolkien to develop “The Lord of the Rings,” which was published in 1954. It gained immense popularity in the 1960s and continues to be widely read today. “The Lord of the Rings” ranks
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Recognized as one of the finest pieces of fiction from the 20th century, its triumph allowed the fantasy-fiction genre to flourish. In the 21st century, the book has sold over 50 million copies across nearly 30 languages. Both of these works have seen film adaptations that garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success.

At the age of 16, Tolkien encountered his future wife, Edith Mary Bratt, at the boarding house where he and his brother resided. Being an orphan like him, they quickly fell in love. However, Tolkien’s guardian vehemently opposed their relationship due to Edith’s older age and her Protestant faith. He forbade Tolkien from contacting her until he reached the age of 21.

Tolkien expressed his desire to marry Bratt in a letter on his 21st birthday, which she joyfully accepted, giving back the engagement ring from her former partner. The two became officially engaged in 1913 and tied the knot in 1916, eventually welcoming four children: John, Michael, Christopher, and Priscilla Tolkien.