J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which became hugely popular and influenced fantasy literature. He was born in South Africa in 1892 and served in World War I. The Hobbit was published in 1937 and was a commercial success, allowing Tolkien to focus on writing The Lord of the Rings novels between 1954-1956. Tolkien died in 1973 after seeing his works achieve widespread acclaim. The document provides biographical details on Tolkien's life and career, and notes some of his most famous quotes and works.