J. R. R. Tolkien

Here's a time line of Tolkien's life:

• 1892 - John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is born on January 3rd in Blostrongfontein
• 1894 - Brother Hilary Arthur Tolkien is born
• 1895 - Mother, Mabel Tolkien, returns with the sons to England
• 1896 - Father, Arthur Tolkien, dies in South Africa Mother with the sons moves to Birmingham suburb and begins to teach Ronald Latin, French and drawing
• 1900 - Ronald begins to attend King Edward's Grammar school
• 1903 - Ronald begins to study Greek and Old English
• 1904 - Mother, Mabel Tolkien, dies of diabetes. She was 34 years old. Ronald and his brother Hilary become wards of Father Morgan, a priest at the Birmingham Oratory
• 1906 – 1911 - Ronald studies Old English himself and begins to develop his own languages
• 1908 - Orphaned boys move to Aunt's, Mrs Faulkner, home in Birmingham
• 1909 - Ronald falls in love with Edith Bratt, his wife-to-be He fails the exams on obtaining Oxford grant
• 1910 - Edith Bratt leaves Birmingham Tolkien takes an active part in school debates and makes speeches in Gothic and Old English
• 1911 - In summer Ronald is an active Tea Club participant Begins first term at Oxford (Exeter College)
• 1914 - Ronald finds his sweetheart Edith Bratt The War I is declared Tolkien returns to Oxford to finish his degree
• 1915 - Awarded First Class Honours degree in English language and Literature
• 1916 - Marries Edith Bratt in Warwick Goes to war in France Sees action on the Somme as second lieutenant In Novstrongber is returned to England with shell shock
• 1917 - While recovering begins to write "The Simarillion" Birth of the first son, John
• 1918 - Obtains full lieutenant, moves to Staffordshire Returns with the family to Oxford when the War is over Being appointed as Assistant Lexicographer, Ronald joins the staff of New English Dictionary and works on “W” section
• 1919 - Tolkien works as a freelance tutor in Oxford
• 1920 - Appointed Reader in English Language at Leeds University Birth of the second son, Michael Begins to write Father Christmas Letters
• 1924 - Tolkien becomes a professor of English Language at Leeds Birth of the third son, Christopher
• 1925 - "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is published by Tolkien and E.V. Gordon Tolkien is appointed as a Rawlison and Bowsworth Professor of Anglo - Saxon at Oxford
• 1926 - Tolkien meets C.S. Lewis (the author of the famous “Chronicles of Narnia”) and their friendship blossoms
• 1929 - Birth of the fourth child, Priscilla
• 1930 - Tolkien becomes one of the founder mstrongbers of "The Inklings" Begins to write the first version of "The Hobbit"
• 1936 - Tolkien completes "The Hobbit" Delivers his lecture "Beowulf": "The Monsters and the Critics"
• 1937 - "The Hobbit" is published Tolkien begins to write a sequel, which becomes "The Lord of the Rings" in future
• 1939 - Tolkien delivers his lecture on "Fairy stories" 16 chapters of “the Lord of the Rings” are written
• 1940 - The bomb explosion kills warehouse together with a part of " The Hobbit"
• 1945 - "Leaf by Niggle" is published Tolkien is elected to be a professor of the English Language and Literature at Oxford
• 1947 - Draft of "The Lord of the Rings" is sent to publishers
• 1948 - "The Lord of the Rings" is completed
• 1949 - "Farmer Giles of Ham" is published
• 1951 - The new edition of “The Hobbit” is published
• 1954 - “The Fellowship of the Ring” and “The Two Towers” (part One and Two) are published
• 1955 - Publication of "The Lord of the Rings", part Three
• 1959 - Tolkien’s retirstrongent
• 1962 - "The adventures of Tom Bombadil" is published
• 1964 - "Tree and Leaf" is published
• 1965 - "American editions of "The Lord of the Rings" are published and campus cult of the novel begins
• 1966 - "The 3rd edition of “The Hobbit” is published
• 1967 - ""Smith of Wooton Major" is published
• 1968 - "The Tolkien’s move to Poole near Bournstrongouth
• 1971 - "Edith Tolkien on Novstrongber 29th dies, aged 82
• 1972 - "Tolkien returns to Oxford. Receives CBE from the Queen
• 1973 - "J.R.R. Tolkien dies on Septstrongber 2nd, aged 81

"I responded (and with rather touching wholeheartedness) to the sweep of Tolkien's imagination-to the ambition of his story-but I wanted to write my own kind of story, and had I started then, I would have written his... Thanks to Mr. Tolkien, the twentieth century had all the elves and wizards it needed."

If you have time, you should read more about this incredible human being on his Wikipedia entry.