The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy work by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien, professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, written as a sequel to his children's book The Hobbit. It was published in three volumes, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers in 1954 and The Return of the King in 1955, although it is a single story. It follows the hobbit Frodo Baggins and his companions as they try to destroy the One Ring, which the Dark Lord Sauron wants to regain. Set in Middle-earth, a world with its own languages, histories and maps, it helped to establish modern fantasy literature. It has sold well over one hundred million copies and was adapted into films directed by Peter Jackson in the early 2000s.
Before and after
- 17 August 1953Birth of Herta Müller
- from 18 August 1953 to 19 August 19531953 Iranian coup d'état
- 19 August 1953Construction of Yad Vashem
- from 1954 to 1964Khrushchev thaw
- 1954Publication of The Lord of the Rings
- 1954Founding of Burger King
- 1954Founding of Bank of Israel
- 1954Construction of Wien-Schwechat Airport
- 1954Geneva Conference
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1946First edition of Cannes Film Festival
- c. 1950sRise of pop art
- 1955Publication of Guinness World Records
- from 25 August 1966 to 11 September 2001Construction of World Trade Center
- from 31 March 1997 to 11 November 2022Premiere of Teletubbies
- 2003Construction of Three Gorges Dam
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.