John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
- Born:
- January 3, 1892, Bloemfontein, Orange Free State (now South Africa)
- Died:
- September 2, 1973, Bournemouth, Dorset, England
- Nationality:
- British
- Profession(s):
- Writer, Poet, Philologist, Academic
Early Life and Education
- Early childhood spent in South Africa before returning to England.
- Father died in South Africa when Tolkien was three; mother raised him in England.
- Educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham.
- Studied Classics at Exeter College, Oxford.
- Served in the Lancashire Fusiliers during World War I.
Career and Major Achievements
- Served as Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University (1925-1945).
- Merton Professor of English Language and Literature at Oxford University (1945-1959).
- Distinguished scholar of Old and Middle English.
- Achieved global recognition as the author of high fantasy works.
- His work on Beowulf is considered seminal to its understanding.
Notable Works
- The Hobbit (1937)
- The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955)
- The Fellowship of the Ring
- The Two Towers
- The Return of the King
- The Silmarillion (published posthumously, 1977)
- Farmer Giles of Ham (1949)
- Leaf by Niggle (1945)
- The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (1962)
Legacy and Impact
J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy works have had a profound and lasting impact on literature, art, music, and popular culture, helping to establish and popularize the modern fantasy genre. Many consider Humphrey Carpenter's biography to be the best biography on Tolkien, offering deep insights into his life and work.