A Chronological Biography of J.R.R. Tolkien
(Up to the publication of the Silmarillion)
1892-January 3: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien born in Blomfontein, South Africa, to Arthur Reuel Tolkien, a bank manager, and Mabel Tolkien.
1895 - Mabel Tolkien takes Ronald Tolkien and younger brother Hilary on "home leave" to England. 1896-Arthur Tolkien dies of rheumatic fever. Mabel Tolkien settles in Sarehole, a country village near Birmingham,England.
1900-Ronald received into Catholic Church with mother and brother.
1904-Mabel Tolkien dies of diabetes. The boys become wards of Father Francis Morgan of the Birmingham Oratory.
1911-1918 - Early development of Elvish language and mythology Informal club, T.C.B.S.
1915-Exeter College, Oxford, B.A.
1915-1918 - Serves with the Lancashire Fusiliers during World War I.
1916-March 22: marries Edith Mary Bratt.
1917 - Works on Book of Lost Tales,which evolves into The Silmarillion. Birth of son,John Francis Reuel.
1918 - Invalided out of Army. Teaches for English School, Oxford.
1918-1920-Junior Editor, staff of Oxford English Dictionary.
1920-1925-Teaches at University of Leeds.
1920 - October:Birth of Michael Hilary Reuel. First of "Father Christmas Letters" written for son John, age 3.
1922 - Publication of A Middle English Vocabulary, the first work to bring him international scholastic reputation.
1924 - Birth of Christopher Reuel.
1925-1945-Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon, Oxford University.
1925 - Publication of Gordon and Tolkien standard edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
1926-1945- Fellow, Pembroke College.
1929- Birth of daughter Priscilla Mary Reuel. Publication of "Ancrene Wisse and Hali Meidhed", philological essay.
early 1930's -Begins The Hobbit.
early 1930's through mid-forties-informal meetings of friends calling themselves "The Inklings," to read and discuss their work and enjoy one another's company. Leading spirits, C.S. Lewis,Wyndham Lewis, Charles Williams, J.R.R. Tolkien. C.S. Lewis emphasized the lack of influence of the group on Tolkien's writing, saying in a letter to Charles Moorman that one might as well try to influence a bandersnatch! These meetings in congenial company were nonetheless important to Tolkien.
1934- Publication of "Chaucer as a Philologist."
1934-1936- Leverhuime Research Fellow.
1937- Publication of Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics. Publication of first version of The Hobbit.
1938- Receives New York Herald Tribune Children's Book Award for The Hobbit.
1939- Andrew Lang Lecturer, St. Andrews University. His lecture, "On Fairy-stories."
1940- Preface to Hall translation of Beowulf and the finnesburg Fragment
1945 - Publication of "Leaf by Niggle."
1945-1959- Merton Professor of English Language and Literature.
1949 - Publication of farmer Giles of Ham.
1951 - Publication of revised edition of The Hobbit.
1953-W.P. Ker Lecturer, University of Glasgow.
1954 - Receives Hon. D. Litt. from University College, Dublin, and Hon. D. Litt. from University of Liege, Publication of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of The Lord of the Rings.Publication of The Two Towers, second part of The Lord of the Rings.
1955 - Publication of The Return of the King, third part of The Lord of the Rings.
1957 -Receives International Fantasy Award for The Lord of the Rings. Named Fellow, Royal Society of Literature.
1959 - Retires from Oxford University, after teaching there since 1925.
1962 - Publication of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.
1963 - Publication of "English and Welsh," in Angles and Britons: the O'Donnell Lectures.
1964 - Publication of Tree and Leaf.
1966 - Publication of The Jerusalem Bible, for which Tolkien was one of the editor-translators. Major role in translation of Book of Jonah. Awarded Benson Medal. Publication of third and final version of The Hobbit.
1967 - Publication of Smith of Wootton Major. Publication of The Road Goes Ever On. Issue of Recording, "Poems and Songs of Middle Earth."
1971 - Death of Edith Tolkien, at age of eighty-two.
1972 - Made CBE (Commander, Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II, at Buckingham Palace. Emeritus Fellow, Merton College. Hon. D. Litt, Oxford University.
1973 - Early in the year, ill health prevents Tolkien from travelling to France to receive award for best foreign novel: Ie Seigneur des Anneaux, translation of The Lord of the Rings. September 2: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, philologist, scholar and author, dies in Bournemouth, England, at the age of 81. The Headstone of the grave of Tolkien and his wife in Wolvercote Cemetery north of Oxford reads:

EDITH MARY TOLKIEN

LUTHIEN

1889-1971

JOHN RONALD

REUEL TOLKIEN

BEREN

1892-1973

1974 - "Bilbo's Last Song" published as poster.
1975 - Publication of "Guide to Names in The Lord of the Rings" in A Tolkien Compass . Issue of two Caedmon records of Tolkien reading the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings (from a tape recorded in 1952)
1976 Publication of The Father Christmas Lettersedited by Baillie Tolkien
1977 Publication of the Silmarillion, edited by Christopher Tolkien


Bibliography of LOTR related books edited by Christopher Tolkien
1977 - 'The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien: A brief account of the book and its making'. Christopher Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin; rptd. Mallorn 14, 1980, pp. 3-5, 7-8.
1977 - J.R.R. Tolkien: The Silmarillion: Of Beren and Luthien, read by Christopher Tolkien. New York: Caedmon Records TC1564. Sleeve notes by Christopher Tolkien. (Sleeve also has photo of CT.)
1978 - J.R.R. Tolkien: Of the Darkening of Valinor, and Of the Flight of the Nol dor, from The Silmarillion, read by Christopher Tolkien. New York: Caedmon Records TC 1579. Sleeve notes by Christopher Tolkien. (Sleeve also has photo of CT.)
1978 - Map of Beleriand and the Lands to the North [poster]. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1978. As drawn by Christopher Tolkien for The Silmarillion, with colouring by H.E. Riddett.
1979 - J.R.R. Tolkien Calendar. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1978. Notes on the Pictures by Christopher Tolkien.
1979 - Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien. Foreword and Notes by Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1979; revised edition, London: Harper- Collins, 1992. [1 Nov 79]
1980 - Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, London. [2 Oct 80]
1981 - Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter with the assistance of Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin. [20 Aug 81]
1982 - 'The Tengwar Numerals'. Christopher Tolkien ('CRT after JRRT'), in Quettar 13, Feb. 1982, pp. 8-9; rptd. Beyond Bree Dec. 1984, p. 1. Further, untitled, explanation of Tengwar numerals by Christopher Tolkien ('CRT after JRRT 10 March 1982'), in Quettar 14, May 1982, pp. 6-7.
1983 - The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin. [3 Mar 83]
1983 - '...Future Publishing'. Christopher Tolkien, in Amon Hen 63, August 1983, p. 4; rptd. as 'Statement by Christopher Tolkien' in Beyond Bree, November 1983, p. 2.
1983 - The Book of Lost Tales, Part I. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin. [27 Oct 83]
1984 - The Book of Lost Tales, Part II. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin. [16 Aug 84]
1984 - '"Moria Gate" ... Another Look'. Christopher Tolkien, in Amon Hen 70, November 1984, p.3.
1985 - The Lays of Beleriand. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin. [22 Aug 85]
1986 - 'Notes on the Differences in editions of The Hobbit cited by Mr. David Cofield'. Christopher Tolkien, in Beyond Bree, pp. 1-3.
1986 - The Shaping of Middle-earth. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin. [21 Aug 86]
1987 - The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien. London: Unwin Hyman; fiftieth anniver- sary edition, with Foreword by Christopher Tolkien.
1987 - The Lost Road and Other Writings. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: Unwin Hyman, 1987. [27 Aug 87]
1988 - The BBC Pronunciation Guide to The Lord of the Rings'. Nancy Martsch, in Beyond Bree, August 1988, pp. 1-2. [About the transcription of Christopher Tolkien's recording of words and names in The Lord of the Rings for the BBC production by Brian Sibley.]
1988 - Tree and Leaf. J.R.R. Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1964; second edition, subtitled 'including the poem Mythopoeia'. Introduction by Christopher Tolkien. London: Unwin Hyman, 1988. [25 Aug 88]
1988 - The Return of the Shadow. Christopher Tolkien. London: Unwin Hyman. [25 Aug 88]
1989 - The Treason of Isengard. Christopher Tolkien. London: Unwin Hyman. [7 Sep 89]
1990 - The War of the Ring. Christopher Tolkien. London: Unwin Hyman. [Sep 90]
1992 - Sauron Defeated. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: Harper- Collins. [6 Jan 92]
1993 - Morgoth's Ring. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: Harper- Collins.
1994 - The War of the Jewels. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: HarperCollins.
1996 - The Peoples of Middle-earth. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: HarperCollins.
2007 - The Children of Hurin. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: HarperCollins. Illustrated by Alan Lee