On 3 January 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born. Better known as J.R.R. Tolkien, he is the author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. After his death, his Silmarillion was edited and published by his son Christopher.

Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa to English parents Arthur and Mabel Tolkien. The family was living in South Africa because of his father’s job. In 1895, Mabel took Tolkien and his brother to England to visit family. While they were there, Arthur died. Therefore, Tolkien remained in England.

The Tolkien family had emigrated from Saxony during the 18^th century. David Doughan explains that “The name ‘Tolkien’ (pron.: Tol-keen; equal stress on both syllables) is believed to be of German origin; Toll-kühn: foolishly brave, or stupidly clever – hence the pseudonym “Oxymore” which he occasionally used.”

Although he is not popularly remembered for his academic abilities, Tolkien demonstrated linguistic abilities from a young age. He mastered Latin, Greek, and other languages and even made up languages of his own. Glossopoeia, a term invented by Tolkien, is the act of inventing languages. Doughan argues that Tolkien’s lecture “Beowulf, the Monsters and the Critics” and essay “English and Welsh” were particularly important.

In 1990, Interplay Productions brought out The Lord of the Rings served as the basis for a video game. Other video games based on the book were released in 2002, 2006, 2011, and 2012. In 1978, an animated version of The Lord of the Rings was released by fantasy films.

A trilogy based on the book: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). The trilogy has grossed over $1,060,925,440.

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In part, due to the success of these films, Tolkien was the fifth most profitable dead celebrity during 2011; earning a total of $50,000,000.

–Steven L. Berg, PhD

Photo Caption:  J.R.R. Tolkien

Although Today in History is primarily student written, there are some days when we do not have a student author. You will enjoy another student entry tomorrow.