1954

Tolkien-related events that took place in 1954.

January

• 22 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes Letter 143.
• 29 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes a letter to the Rector of the University of Liège.
• ? - Allen & Unwin asks J.R.R. Tolkien to provide suggestions for the dust-jacket designs for the soon-to-be-published The Fellowship of the Ring.^{:p. li}

February

• 23 - Tolkien writes a letter to W.N. Beard saying that he has nor time nor inspiration to draw dust-jacket covers, but he does soon later anyway.^{:p. li}

March

• 23 - Tolkien writes a letter to W.N. Beard discussing the "notions" of dust jackets he designed.
• 26 - Tolkien writes a letter to Rayner Unwin discussing the dust jackets.
• ? - Christopher Tolkien draws a final version of A Part of the Shire map for publication.^{:p. lv}
• ? - J.R.R. Tolkien draws a cover design for The Return of the King.^{:p. li}

April

• 14 - Comics writer Charles Dixon is born.
• 25 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes letter 144.
• 30 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes a letter to Stanley Unwin.
• 30 - Programmer Don Woods is born.

May

• 8–15 - J.R.R. Tolkien is in Cambridge as an elector for the chair of Medieval and Renaissance English, a post designed for C.S. Lewis.
• 13 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes letter 145.
• 17 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes a letter to Henry Willink.
• 22 - J.R.R. Tolkien has a formal dinner in Cambridge.
• 26 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes a letter to W.N. Beard.

June

• 4 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes letter 146.
• 15 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes letter 147.

July

• 20 - J.R.R. Tolkien receives a D. Litt. from University College Dublin.
• 29 - The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of The Lord of the Rings, is published.

August

• 7 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes letter 148.
• 14 - C.S. Lewis reviews The Fellowship of the Ring for Time and Tide.
• 21 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes a letter to Nevill Coghill.

September

• 9 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes letter 149.
• 9 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes a letter to the Rector of the University of Liège.
• 18 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes letters 150 and 151.
• 22 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes letter 152.
• 25 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes letter 154.

October

• 2 - J.R.R. Tolkien receives an honorary doctorate from the University of Liège.
• 18 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes a letter to the Rector of the University of Liège.
• 19 - Actor Ken Stott is born.
• 21 - The American edition of The Fellowship of the Ring is published by the Houghton Mifflin Company.
• 31 – "The Hero Is a Hobbit", a review by W.H. Auden of The Fellowship of the Ring, is published.

November

• 4 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes letter 156.
• 6 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes a letter to R.W. Burchfield.
• 7 - Guy Gavriel Kay, who would assist Christopher Tolkien with the writing of The Silmarillion, is born.
• 11 - The Two Towers, the second volume of The Lord of the Rings, is published.
• 17 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes a letter to Rayner Heppenstall.
• 22 - Rayner Heppenstall writes a letter to J.R.R. Tolkien.
• 27 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes letter 157.

December

• 1 - J.R.R. Tolkien starts writing a letter to Rayner Heppenstall.
• 2 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes letter 158.
• 2 - J.R.R. Tolkien finishes writing a letter to Rayner Heppenstall.
• 3 - The BBC Third Programme broadcasts the radio play of The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth.
• 13 - J.R.R. Tolkien writes a letter to Rayner Heppenstall.
• 14 - James Horan, who would voice several characters in video games, is born.
• 25 - Singer Annie Lennox is born.

References

Years 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957