This week marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of J. R. R. Tolkien. Here are nine things you should know about the father of modern fantasy literature:
1. John Ronald Reul Tolkien was born in Bloem-fontein, South Africa, on January 3, 1892. The Tolkien family moved back to England three years later, when J. R. R.'s father took ill. J. R. R.'s father died when he was 4 years old, and his mother died when he was 12. After that, he and his brother were left in the care of Father Francis Morgan, a Catholic priest.
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