Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, England
© Andrew Holt/Getty Image
One library to rule them all. 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.
Related Images
Bing Today Images
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC
An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Landmark Center clock tower and Winter Carnival Ice Palace, St. Paul, Minnesota
'El Problema del Caballo' by Claudia Fontes in Venice, Italy
For Waitangi Day, the Pancake Rocks on New Zealand’s South Island
At Casa Batlló for Sant Jordi’s Day in Barcelona, Spain
Meditation domes at the Beatles Ashram in Rishikesh, India
At the Arch of Septimius Severus in the Roman Forum for the ides of March