J.R.R. Tolkien
By: Kelsey , Jacob, Dawson, and Aldrich
Early Life
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, also known as J.R.R. Tolkien, was born on January, 1st, 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Soon after he was born, Tolkien's father died. After his death, Tolkien, his younger brother, and his mother lived in England. Without a father, growing up was difficult for Tolkien. He lived in poverty, and was home schooled by his mother. At the age of 12, Tolkien's mother died due to diabetes. After her death, Tolkien and his brother were raised by a Catholic priest. When he was 16, Tolkien found the love of his life, Edith Mary Bratt. His guardian, the Priest, wanted Tolkien to focus on his studies, and not his love life. As a result, Tolkien had to separate from Edith. A few years later in their lives, Tolkien and Edith met again, and soon married each other.
South Africa
Where Tolkien was born
Tolkien and his family
Fun fact: J.R.R. Tolkien actually started writing The Hobbit so he could entertain his children.
England
Where Tolkien lived after his father died.
Catholic Church
Tolkien was strongly Catholic and was raised by a Priest for part of his life.
Edith Mary Bratt
Tolkien's wife that he married at the age of 25.
Tolkien was homeschooled
When living in poverty, Tolkien's mother homeschooled him to save money.
Career
Tolkien went to King Edwards school, and was very successful in many different languages. Soon, Tolkien even started creating his own languages. At first Tolkien worked as a lexicographer, a person who makes dictionaries. During his job, Tolkien started making even more languages and started working on his first book. Next, Tolkien worked at Oxford University, and taught students about different types of literature. When at Oxford, Tolkien met a close group of friends. Tolkien would meet with his friends so they could discuss what they were reading, and books they were writing. One of the first and most popular books Tolkien wrote was The Hobbit, which was published in 1937. The Hobbit was so well liked that the publisher asked for a sequel. About 20 years later in his writing career, Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, which also soon became very popular. J.R.R. Tolkien died September, 2, 1973, when he was 81, and his classical fantasy books are still read by many people today.
Oxford University
Where J.R.R. Tolkien taught literature and met a great group of friends.
The Lord of the Rings
Written by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit
Written by J.R.R. Tolkien
Fun Facts and Inspirations
-When Tolkien was a baby, he was kidnapped, but only for a day.
-Many of Tolkien's books were inspired by WWII.
-A large hairy spider influenced his book, The Lord of the Rings.
-Tolkien worked as a code breaker during WWII because he was good with so many different languages.
-Tolkien was actually a very talented artist and drew pictures and maps that were in The Hobbit.
-He invented languages for fun, and his made up languages were used in The Hobbit movie.
- On one of his students tests, J.R.R. Tolkien read, "In the hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit". This sentence became the main inspiration for Tolkien's book, The Hobbit.
Drawing by J.R.R. Tolkien
This drawing was actually not included in Tolkien's books, and was later found in the Tolkien Archive.
Map #1 Drawn by Tolkien
Map #2 Drawn by Tolkien
The Hobbit - Sound of Laketown