J.R.R. Tolkien Timeline

From Tolkien Gateway
"We have a long way to go, and there is time ahead for thought." — Treebeard
This article or section is in the early stages of construction and should not be viewed as complete, or even close to being finished.

This article intends to list the main events of the life of J.R.R. Tolkien in a chronological order.

1892[edit | edit source]

1894[edit | edit source]

1895[edit | edit source]

  • April: Tolkien's mother Mabel moves with her sons from South Africa to Birmingham, England.

1896[edit | edit source]

1900[edit | edit source]

  • June: Tolkien's mother is received into the Catholic Church.
  • September: Tolkien begins attending King Edward's School.

1902[edit | edit source]

  • Tolkien begins attending St. Philip's School.

1903[edit | edit source]

  • Autumn: Tolkien returns to King Edward's School, having won a Foundation Scholarship.

1904[edit | edit source]

  • April: Mabel Tolkien is hospitalized with diabetes. Tolkien is sent to live with his aunt Jane Neave.
  • June: Mabel Tolkien partially recovers and goes, with her sons, to Rednal in Worcestershire to convalesce.
  • 14 November: Tolkien's mother dies after a relapse.

1905[edit | edit source]

  • Tolkien and his brother go to live with their aunt Beatrice Suffield.
  • Autumn: Tolkien meets his friend Christopher Wiseman at King Edward's.

1911[edit | edit source]

1915[edit | edit source]

  • Tolkien graduates Oxford University with first-class honours.
  • 15 July: Tolkien is commissioned as second lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers

1916[edit | edit source]

1917[edit | edit source]

1920[edit | edit source]

1924[edit | edit source]

1925[edit | edit source]

1929[edit | edit source]

1937[edit | edit source]

1954[edit | edit source]

1955[edit | edit source]

1959[edit | edit source]

  • Tolkien retires from Oxford.

1971[edit | edit source]

  • 29 November: Tolkien's wife Edith dies at the age of 82.

1972[edit | edit source]

  • Tolkien is made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
  • Tolkien receives an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Oxford University.

1973[edit | edit source]