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Real world timeline

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This is a chronology of real-world events. For a Middle-earth timeline, see Timeline of Arda

  • 1915 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes first extant manuscript of Tha Eadigan Saelidan: The Happy Mariners poem. First version of The City of the Gods poem published as Kôr: In a City Lost and Dead.
  • 1916 — J.R.R. Tolkien marries Edith Bratt on March 22. In June, he is assigned to the Lancaster Fusiliers and sent to France.
  • 1917 — Edith Tolkien gives birth to John.
  • 1918 — First draft of "The Fall of Gondolin" is completed.
  • 1920 — Edith Tolkien gives birth to Michael. Rewritten version of The Happy Mariners poem is published.
  • 1923 - The City of the Gods poem is published. Altered version of Tha Eadigan Saelidan: The Happy Mariners poem is published.
  • 1924 — Edith Tolkien gives birth to Christopher. J.R.R. accepts a position as Professor of English Language at Leeds.
  • 1926 — The Tolkiens move into 22 Northmoor Rd, Oxford in January. J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis first meet.
  • Sometimes in the late 1920s—Tolkien writes the words "In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit" on the back of a term paper. He does not know what they mean.
  • 1929 — Edith Tolkien gives birth to Priscilla.
  • 1933 — The first stories of a hobbit named Bilbo appear at the Tolkien house.
  • 1945 — "Leaf by Niggle" is published. J.R.R. Tolkien is elected to the Merton Chair of English Language and Literature in the University of Oxford.
  • 1947 — J.R.R. Tolkien wrote Letter 107a, Letter 108, Letter 109, Letter 110, Letter 111, Letter 111a, and Letter 112. One of the foremost artists and illustrators of Tolkien's work, Alan Lee was born.
  • 1956 — The BBC radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings continues.
  • 1959 — J.R.R. Tolkien retires his professorship at Oxford. Letter 211 written by J.R.R. Tolkien.
  • 1965 — American paperback edition of The Lord of the Rings is published.
  • 1968 — BBC radio broadcasts an eight-part (4-hour) adaptation of The Hobbit. Tolkien originally sold the film, stage and merchandise rights of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to United Artists but nothing came of it. The Tolkien family moves to Poole near Bournesmouth.
  • 1973 — J.R.R. Tolkien dies on September 2.
  • 1990 — The War of the Ring is published (later part of the The History of Middle-earth collection).
  • 1991 — A revised addition of Karen Wynn Fonstad's The Atlas of Middle-earth is published.
  • 1992 — Sauron Defeated is published (later part of the The History of Middle-earth collection).
  • 1997 — The Lidless Eye second basic set for Middle-earth Collectible Card Game released and later Against the Shadow expansion for second set. The White Hand expansion released for Middle-earth Collectible Card Game.
  • 1998 — Roverandom is finally published. The Balrog expansion (the last) released for Middle-earth Collectible Card Game.
  • 1999 — Production of Middle-earth Collectible Card Game & Middle-earth Role Playing end when its publisher loses license to Tolkien works.
  • 2004 — The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King films receives 11 Oscars, including Best Picture.
  • 2008 — Of Words and Worlds: The Imagination and Subcreation of J.R.R. Tolkien (by Mark J.P. Wolf) is published.
  • 2019 — The biographical film Tolkien is released in May.
  • 2043 — Tolkien's published works will remain copyrighted until this year.
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