John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is born

Jan 3, 1892

J.R.R Tolkien was born to Arthur Tolkien and Mabel Suffield Tolkien in Bloemfontein, South Africa ("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Hilary Tolkien born

Feb 17, 1894

Tolkien's younger brother("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Back to England

Apr 23, 1895

Mabel takes her two sons back to England for health reasons. Arthur Tolkien however remains in South Africa("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Death of Arthur Tolkien

Feb 15, 1896

Arthur Tolkien dies of a severe haemorrhage, after being ill for some months. Summer: The family rent a cottage in the country (Sarehole Mill, near Birmingham). They stay there four years, 'Four years' wrote J.R.R. Tolkien looking back,' but the longest-
seeming and most formative part of my life.'("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Spring/September

May 23, 1900

Spring: Mabel Tolkien is received into the Catholic church to the outrage of her Unitarian Father.
September: J.R.R. Tolkien enters King Edwards School after retaking the entrance exam he failed the previous year forcing the family to move from Sarehole Mill to Moseley a suburb of Birmingham("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Kings Heath

Apr 23, 1901

The family move to a small villa in Kings Heath, which backs onto a railway line("J.R.R. Tolkien"). .

Edgbaston

Apr 23, 1902

Mabel and her sons move to Edgbaston, partly to be near the Birmingham Oratory, and Ronald and Hilary join St Phillip's Grammar School, to save money and to ensure a Catholic education("J.R.R. Tolkien").

School

Apr 23, 1903

Mabel removes her sons from St Phillip's, and teaches them herself once again. Later in the year Ronald wins a scholarship to rejoin King Edward's("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Hospitilization of Mabel Tolkien

Apr 23, 1904

Mabel Tolkien is found to have diabetes and spends some weeks in hospital. In the summer she and the boys stay at Rednal, in Worstershire("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Death of Mabel Tolkien

Nov 14, 1904

After sinking into a diabetic coma Mabel Tolkien dies. J.R.R. Tolkien's and his brother's guardianship is taken up by Father Francis Xavier Morgan of the Birmingham Oratory. The boys move into their Aunt Beatrice's house in Duchess Road. “J.R.R. Tolkien: A Time Line.” Tolkienet.com. Tolkienet.com, n. d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. http://www.tolkienet.com/lothlorien/tolkien-timeline.asp.

Meeting Edith Bratt

Apr 23, 1908

The boys move into a room lent by Mrs Faulkner and meets Edith Bratt("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Exeter College

Dec 17, 1910

Tolkien is awarded an Open Classical Exhibition to Exeter College, Oxford("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Oxford

Apr 23, 1911

The 'T.C.B.S.' is formed.
Summer: Ronald leaves school and visits Switzwerland.
Autumn: Tolkien begins his first term at Oxford("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Reuniting with Edith

Apr 23, 1913

January: Ronald is twenty-one and so is reunited with Edith.
February: Tolkien takes the Honour Moderations and is awarded a Second Class.
Summer: He begins reading for the honours School of English and English literature("J.R.R. Tolkien").

First Class Honours

Apr 23, 1915

Summer: He gains First Class Honours in English and English literature. Is commissioned by the Lancashire Fusiliers and begins training("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Tolkien marries Edith Bratt

Mar 22, 1916

Ronald and Edith are married("J.R.R. Tolkien").

World war 1

Jun 23, 1916

June: Tolkien leaves for France as a second Lieutenant in the 11th Lancashire Fusiliers, and serves as the Signalling Officer.
November: Returns to England suffering 'Trench fever' (An acute infectious relapsing fever caused by a micro organism, transmitted by a louse)("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Start of the Silmarillion

Jan 23, 1917

January and February: Tolkien starts writing the 'Book of Lost Tales' which develops to become The Silmarillion.
Spring: He is posted to Yorkshire but spends much of his time in hospital("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Birth of first son John

Nov 16, 1917

J.R.R. Tolkien's first son, John, is born. Later in the month the family move to Oxford("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Leeds University and birth of second son Michael

Oct 23, 1920

Tolkien is appointed reader in English Language at Leeds University. Shortly after his second son, Michael, is born("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Apr 23, 1922

EV Gordon joins the staff at Leeds and together they work on a edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Professor and birth of third son Christopher

Nov 21, 1924

Tolkien becomes Professor of English Language at Leeds University.
His third son, Christopher, is born("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Professor at Oxford

Apr 23, 1925

Summer: Tolkien is elected Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University. So in the autumn the family move to Oxford("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Friendship with CS Lewis starts

Apr 23, 1926

Tolkien meets CS Lewis and enters a lifelong friendship("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Birth of only daughter Priscilla

Apr 23, 1929

His only daughter, Priscilla, is born("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Start of The Hobbit

Apr 23, 1930

About this time the Hobbit is started, but then abandoned("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Continuing The Hobbit

Apr 23, 1936

The lecture Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics is delivered. Susan Dagnall of Allen and Unwin reads the manuscript of The Hobbit and suggests Tolkien finishes it("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Finishes The Hobbit and begins The Lord of the Rings

Apr 23, 1937

Autumn: The Hobbit is published and the sequel which becomes The Lord of the Rings is begun("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Professor of English Language

Apr 23, 1945

Tolkien is elected Merton Professor of English Language and Literature at Oxford. He holds the post until he retires in 1959("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Lord of the Rings and Farmer Giles of Ham published

Apr 23, 1949

The Lord of the Rings is completed and Farmer Giles of Ham is published("J.R.R. Tolkien").

The Fellowship and Two Towers

Apr 23, 1954

The first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, are published("J.R.R. Tolkien").

The Return of the King

Apr 23, 1955

The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is published("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Retires

Apr 23, 1959

Tolkien retires from his professorship("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Poole, Bournemouth

Apr 23, 1968

The Tolkien's move to Poole, Bournemouth("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Death of Edith Tolkien

Nov 29, 1971

Edith Tolkien dies in hospital, aged eighty-two("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Rewarded for work

Apr 23, 1972

Tolkien moves to Merton Street, Oxford into rooms provided by the University.
Spring: receives the CBE from the Queen
June: Receives a honorary Doctorate of letters from Oxford for his contribution to philology("J.R.R. Tolkien").

Visits friends

Aug 28, 1973

28 August: He goes to Bournemouth to visit friends("J.R.R. Tolkien").

J.R.R. Tolkien dies

Sep 2, 1973

After being taken ill he dies in the early hours aged eight-one("J.R.R. Tolkien").

The Silmarillion is published

Apr 23, 1977

The Silmarillion is published posthumously after being edited by Christopher Tolkien("J.R.R. Tolkien").