J. R. R. Tolkien died on 2 September 1973 in Bournemouth, aged 81. An English writer and philologist, Tolkien fought in the First World War and later became a professor of Anglo-Saxon and then of English language and literature at Oxford. He is best known for the fantasy novels The Hobbit, published in 1937, and The Lord of the Rings, which appeared in the mid-1950s and are set in the invented world of Middle-earth. He created languages, including Elvish tongues, and a detailed mythology, published after his death as The Silmarillion. A member of the Inklings literary group with C. S. Lewis, he shaped modern fantasy, and his books have been adapted into highly successful films.
Before and after
- 10 July 1973Founding of The Bahamas
- 20 July 1973Death of Bruce Lee
- 11 August 1973Hip-hop is born at a Bronx party
- 21 August 1973Birth of Sergey Brin
- 2 September 1973Death of J. R. R. Tolkien
- 11 September 19731973 Chilean coup d'état
- 12 September 1973Birth of Paul Walker
- 20 September 1973Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes
- 23 September 1973Death of Pablo Neruda
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The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.