J.R.R. Tolkien Day Jan 3, 2024

J.R.R. Tolkien Day

It"s time to bust out the furry feet and pointed ears because today is J.R.R. Tolkien Day, celebrating the literary legend behind "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." On January 3, the Tolkien Society toasts "the professor" on his birthday, echoing Frodo"s annual toasts to Bilbo on his birthday each year. Tolkien"s roots run through Oxford, where he studied English language and literature and later became a professor. Since 1979, Oxford"s Bodleian Library has been home to the Tolkien Archive, a collection of manuscripts, artwork, and even a Middle-earth map with Tolkien"s handwritten notes. His legacy is one of timeless fantastical tales that have delighted generations of readers since they were written more than 70 years ago. His stories encourage us to seize each day and make the most of the time that is given to us.

© Andrew Holt/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jan 3, 2019How do ladybugs winter?
Jan 3, 2020 Field of Light at Sensorio by Bruce Munro
Jan 3, 2021An Alpine fairy-tale castle
Jan 3, 2022Lick Observatory
Jan 3, 2023Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Jan 3, 2025Happy Birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien!
Jan 3, 2026J.R.R. Tolkien Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 21, 2023Gray seal pup, Norfolk, England
Jan 24, 2023Colle Santa Lucia, Dolomites, Italy
Aug 12, 2019Don t forget—it’s World Elephant Day
Feb 5, 2020Frozen beauty
Mar 24, 2018Crimson-rumped toucanet in the Refugio Paz de Las Aves, Ecuador
Jan 31, 2024International Zebra Day
Jun 2, 2021The dry days of winter in Etosha
Dec 12, 2018The story of the poinsettia
Mar 6, 2025Desert bighorn sheep in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Aug 19, 2018Oh, the places you’ll go
May 3, 2025Happy International Astronomy Day!
Jul 12, 2022Bay Marker Lookout, Sydney Olympic Park, Australia
Nov 15, 2021Manatee Awareness Month
May 30, 2019A day to celebrate the sun
Oct 21, 2023International Archaeology Day
Jan 14, 2019An island oasis in the Indian Ocean
Aug 4, 2025Great gray owls in their nest, Finland
Jun 6, 2018Feature Attraction: 85 years at the drive-in
Oct 6, 2024Ancient town of Sorano, Tuscany, Italy
Dec 9, 2019Let s crack the code
Feb 23, 2018Aerial view of the Colorado River Delta in Mexico
Sep 29, 2023Mid-Autumn Festival
Apr 29, 2020Spring comes to the Palouse
Jul 9, 2022Dolomites
Oct 1, 2024Yosemite National Park anniversary
Apr 9, 2025Naxos in the Cyclades Islands of Greece
Oct 7, 2024Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany
Jan 8, 2022American bison
Aug 16, 2020Here s looking at you
Jul 16, 2020Summertime in Alaska