J.R.R. Tolkien Day Jan. 3, 2024

It"s time to bust out the furry feet and pointed ears because today is J.R.R. Tolkien Day, which celebrates the literary legend who spun the fantastical tales of "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." On this day, the Tolkien Society continues the tradition of toasting "the professor," like Frodo toasted his uncle Bilbo on his birthday. Tolkien"s roots run through Oxford, where he studied English literature, joined the Officer Training Corps during World War I and later became a professor of Old English language and literature at both Leeds and Oxford universities. Since 1979, Oxford"s Bodleian Library has been home to the Tolkien Archive, a precious collection of manuscripts, artwork and even a Middle-earth map with Tolkien"s handwritten notes. His legacy shows us the power of boundless storytelling, which encourages us to seize each day and make the most of the time that is given to us!

© Andrew Holt/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Who’s snoozing?
Jan. 3, 2025Happy Birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien!
Jan. 3, 2026J.R.R. Tolkien Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov. 19, 2025Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest, Hungary
May 12, 2024Mothers Day
Aug. 3, 2024Three Natural Bridges, Wulong National Park, China
Aug. 1, 2024Floating fruit market, Kaptai Lake, Rangamati, Bangladesh
Aug. 5, 2024Lavender field, Hertfordshire, England
Festival fever
The healing powers of wastewater
A future built on the past
What are these predators doing?
Centuries of time in a Delicate Arch
We’ve made it to Halfway Day!
Jul. 25, 2024Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
Dec. 30, 2025Whooper swans, Kotoku Pond, Japan
Masterpiece of acoustic science
Flying the flag for Pride
May 11, 2025Happy Mothers Day!
Nov. 25, 2025Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
Aug. 10, 2024Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
Winter wonderland for your wallet
Angry bird, doting dad
Aug. 31, 2025Scotts Bluff National Monument, Gering, Nebraska, United States
Who uses this grassy bridge?
Jan. 15, 2024Northern Lights
Aug. 7, 2024St. Joseph North Pier Inner and Outer Lights, Michigan, USA
Dec. 7, 2025A pine forest in Alsace, France
Sep. 3, 2025Grizzly bears at Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska, United States
Oct. 13, 2024Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain
Feb. 19, 2025European river otter
Sep. 3, 2023Skyscrapers in Manhattan
Dec. 31, 2023Happy New Years Eve!