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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3rd, 1892 in Bloemfontein (South Africa).
After graduating at Oxford University, he entered the British Army and was wounded at the Battle of the Somme in 1917.
He was hospitalized in Italy, and began to outline the history of Middle-earth. Over the years he invented a completely new language (the language of the elves) and also created a complete history of Middle-earth.
For his four children he started to write The Hobbit, which was published in 1936. To his surprise the book became a big success, and so in about 1940 Tolkien decided to write a longer story, for which The Hobbit should be only a prelude. But he didn't finish the first part of this sequel until 1954 (and spent 10 more years fixing logical errors).
But when "The Lord of the Rings" was published, it became a great success and it is now not only considered as one of the best books of world literature, it also became the first book of a new style in literature: millions of fantasy books are sold every year following Tolkien's idea to invent a complete fantasy world with an exact history.
Tolkien died on September 2nd, 1973. His book "The Silmarillion" containing the whole history of Middle-earth (the one he began to write in 1917 and on which he worked his whole life) was published posthumous by his son Christopher Tolkien.
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The life of J.R.R. Tolkien in chronological order
1892
January 3rd: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien born as son of Mabel and Arthur Tolkien in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
1894
Birth of his brother Hilary Tolkein.
1895
His Mother, his younger brother and he move back to England to the little Town Sarehole close to Birmingham. His father stays in Bloemfontein.
1896
His father dies of rheumatic fever
1900
Mabel Tolkien joins the catholic church. She moves with her kids from Sarehole to Moseley. John joins the King-Edwards-School.
1901
They move from Moseley to King´s Heath.
1902
They move from King´s Heath to Edgbaston, Birmingham. John and Hilary join the St. Phillip´s Grammar School.
1903
The boys leave the St. Phillip´s Grammar School. John returns to the King-Edwards-School in autumn.
1904
Mabel Tolkien (34 years) dies in November after being diagnosed of diabetes at the beginning of the year. The boys fall under the care of Father Francis Morgan.
1908
John and Hilary move to a Mrs. Faulkner. There John meets the three year older Edith Bratt and falls in love with her.
1909
Father Francis Morgan lears of the relationship between John and Edith and they are told to separate. John applies at Oxford for the first time without success.
1910
John and Hilary move again. John still meets Edith whereupon he is forbidden to see her again.
Edith leaves Birmingham in March and moves to Cheltenham. John gets accepted at Exeter college in Oxford.
1911
John begins studying at Oxford. Due to his linguistic abilities he learnd among others Anglo-Saxon, Middle-Englisch and Greece.
1913
John´s 21st birthday. Shortly after "having come to age" he meets Edith Bratt again.
1915
John achieves a First class Honours degree in English language and literature at Oxford.
1916
John marries Edith Bratt in March.
1917
Being wounded in World War I he recovers in a hospital and starts writing "The Lost Tales", which will eventually become "The Silmarillion" (never finished by John).
Birth of his first son, John.
1920
Birth of his second son, Michael.
1921
Tolkien begins teaching University of Leeds.
1924
He becoms a professor of English Language at Leeds in 1924.
Birth of his third son, Christopher.
1926
Tolkien meets C.S. Lewis and they form a strong friendship.
1929
Birth of his first daughter, Priscilla
1930
Tolkien begins writing "The Hobbit" for his children. He does not finish the book at this time
1937
The Hobbit gets published. Stanley Unwin suggests writing a sequel to "The Hobbit" which will eventually become "The Lord of the Rings"
1945
Tolkien becomes a Professor of english language and literature at Oxford University
1949
Tolkien finishes "The Lord of the Rings" after working on it for 14years.
"Farmer Giles of Ham" gets published
1954
The first two books of "The Lord of the Rings" are published. The third book is released shortly after (1955).
1959
Tolkien retires
1962
"The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" published.
1971
Tolkien´s wife dies. Tolkien start´s writing a complete history of Middle-Earth
1973
On September 2nd Tolkien dies, aged 81.
  
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