John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, a very talented writer, is famous for having created such a literary genre as fantasy. All his books are real masterpieces, and many having read them once, want to read them again and again. Warm-hearted and exciting adventure stories, involving people, elves, dwarves, orcs, goblins, wizards, and, of course, hobbits are in Tolkien’s accounts. But not only fantastic beings were concocted by him. Both philologist and professor at Oxford University, he knew many ancient and modern languages. Thus, a new world – Middle-earth, along with its geography, its history, and several languages appeared. The history of this world goes into the depth of millenniums and stretches four epochs starting from the act of creation.

J.R.R. Tolkien was born on 3rd January 1892 at Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State. When he was four years old his mother, Marry Suffield, and his younger brother Hilary, went to England. At that time his father was ill and soon died of rheumatic fever. After his father’s death the family lived at Sarehole, on the south-eastern edge of Birmingham. Ronald spent his childhood there and later scenes from this area would be depicted in his pictures and writings.

Another tragic event occurred when J.R.R. Tolkien was 12 – the death of his mother who died of diabetes. He and his brother Hilary became wards of a priest at the Birmingham Oratory. The boys attended King Edward’s School in Birmingham. At school Ronald was interested in Classic as well as Anglo-Saxon and Middle English. At that time he began to develop his linguistic talent by creating his own languages with grammar and history. Not surprisingly that Tolkien was First in English Language and Literature at Exeter College.

J.R.R. Tolkien was married to Edith Bratt. He had known her since they had both lived in the same house in Birmingham. Ronald loved Edith and continued to do so despite being forbidden by Father Morgan to contact her when he studied at college. Considering that it would ruin Ronald’s career, Father Morgan would not give his consent to an early marriage.

Tolkien was commissioned in the Lancashire Fusiliers and participated in the battle of the Somme. After the war he obtained a post on the New English Dictionary, and began to write the mythological and legendary cycle which he originally called “The Book of Lost Tales” but which eventually became known as “The Silmarillion”.

Later Tolkien was appointed as Reader in the English Language at the University of Leeds. Among the students he was famous for his strong and popular teaching. Then Professor Tolkien was elected to continue work at Oxford, as a Professor of Anglo-Saxon. He taught Anglo-Saxon and English right up until his retirement in 1959. Honestly, many of the world scientists supposed that Tolkien had been one of the most gifted and clever philologists.

By that time the Tolkien’s family consisted of four children (three sons and a daughter) and more than anything father liked to tell his children about mythical beings – elves, hobbits, etc. At first such stories were simply fairy tales. And the first book, which made him famous worldwide, “the Hobbit” (published in 1937) was written in the genre of a fairy tale. The book was a huge success and the public demanded a sequel. Thus, a popular trilogy “the Lord of the Rings” came into being.

Having retired, Tolkien and his wife lived first in the Headington area of Oxford, then moved to Bournemouth. His wife died in 1971 and after that Tolkien decided to return to Oxford.

He was diagnosed as having a bleeding gastric ulcer, and despite some reassuring reports died on September 2nd 1973, aged 81. Tolkien and his wife are buried together in a single grave in the Catholic section of Wolvercote cemetery in the northern suburbs of Oxford.

Although the greatest master of fantasy passed away, he left the door open for anyone to an enchanting world of his stories, the key to which is love, kindness and loyalty. These are the qualities that help Tolkien’s characters to win over Evil.

Chronology

• 1895 His family, except for his father return to England
• 1896 His father, Arthur Tolkien dies in Africa
• 1894 His younger brother, Hilary Arthur Reuel Tolkien is born
• 1904 His mother Mabel Tolkien dies
• 1908 The Tolkien brother are moved to Mrs. Faulkner’s boardinghouse, where they meet Edith Bratt
• 1913 Edith and Ronald are formally Engaged
• 1915 Receives First Honor on final examinations in English Language
• March 22 1916 Marries Edith Bratt
• November 17 1917 His First son, John Francis Reuel Tolkien, is born (died in January 22 2003)
• October 22 1920 His Second son, Michael Hilary Reuel Tolkien, is born (died in February 27 1984)
• November 21 1924 His Third son, Christopher John Reuel Tolkien, is born
• 1925 – 1945 Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon.
• June 18 1929 His daughter, Priscilla Mary Anne Reuel Tolkien, is born
• 1932 Tolkien shows the manuscript of the Hobbit to C.S. Lewis
• 1936 Publishers Allen and Unwin read the Hobbit manuscript and suggest that he complete it. When he does, it is published.
• 1937 The Hobbit is a commercial and critical succes. Unwin asks him for a sequel so he submits Father Chrstmas Letters and The Silmarillion but they are rejected
• 1938 The Hobbit is published in the U.S. and receives the New York Herald Tribune award as best children’s book of the season!!
• 1945 – 1959 Merton Professor of English Language and Literature.
• 1952 Tolkiens agrees to allow Allen and Unwin to publish The Lord of the Rings without Silmarillion
• 1954 First 2 volumes of The Lord of the Rings are published
• 1955 The Return of the King is published
• 1965 Tolkien Society of America is founded
• November 29 1971 Edith Tolkien dies
• 1972 Tolkien receives honorary doctorate from Oxford University
• March 28 1972 He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II