J.R.R. Tolkien was an English writer, poet, philologist, and academic, best known for his high-fantasy works "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, he later settled in England, where he became a professor at the University of Oxford. His creation of complex fantasy worlds, elaborate mythologies, and invented languages laid the foundation for modern fantasy literature.