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Date of birth January 3 1892, in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa
Date of death September 2 1973, in Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK, of a bleeding ulcer and chest infection.
Birth name John Ronald Reuel TolkienHis father died when he was 4, and his mother when he was 12. A Catholic priest then raised him and his brothers. His mother introduced him to Latin, French, and German. While at school he was taught or taught himself Greek, Middle English, Old English (also called Anglo Saxon), Old Norse (also called Old Icelandic), Gothic, Modern and medieval Welsh, Finnish, Spanish, and Italian. Other languages of which he had a working knowledge include Russian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, and Lombardic. In addition to these languages, Tolkien invented 14 different languages and assorted alphabets for his Middle-earth dwellers. He served in the Lancashire Fusilliers in the First World War and fought in the Battle of the Somme. He was discharged in 1917 suffering from "trench fever". He taught at the University of Leeds before teaching at Oxford from 1925 - 1959. He and his wife, Edith, are buried together in a single grave in the Catholic section of Wolvercote. He is the Father of Christopher Tolkien, Michael Tolkien, Priscilla Tolkien, and Father John Tolkien. As of 2001, his novel, 'The Lord of the Rings', has sold over 52 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 25 different languages.
