J. R. R. Tolkien was a British writer and university professor and is
best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He
was a professor of Anglo-Saxon language at Oxford University from 1925
to 1945, and of English language and literature, also at Oxford, from
1945 to 1959. He was a strongly committed Roman Catholic. Tolkien was
a close friend of C. S. Lewis, with whom he shared membership in the
literary discussion group the Inklings. In addition to The Hobbit and
The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien's published fiction includes The
Silmarillion and other posthumously published books about what he
called a legendarium, a connected body of tales, fictional histories,
invented languages, and other literary essays about an imagined world
called Arda, and Middle-earth. Most of these works were compiled from
Tolkien's notes by his son Christopher Tolkien. The enduring
popularity and influence of Tolkien's works have established him as
the "father of modern fantasy literature". Tolkien's other published
fiction includes stories not directly related to the legendarium, some
of them originally told to his children.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
655:
Penda of Mercia was defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria at the Battle of
the Winwaed.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Winwaed)
1889:
A military coup led by Deodoro da Fonseca overthrew Emperor Pedro II
and declared Brazil a republic.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deodoro_da_Fonseca)
1920:
The first general assembly of the League of Nations was held in
Geneva, Switzerland.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Nations)
1971:
Intel released the 4004, the world's first single-chip microprocessor.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_4004)
1988:
The Palestinian National Council declared the independence of the
State of Palestine.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Palestine)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
He who, when called upon to speak a disagreeable truth, tells it
boldly and has done is both bolder and milder than he who nibbles in a
low voice and never ceases nibbling. -- Johann Kaspar Lavater
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Johann_Kaspar_Lavater)