SALT LAKE CITY — J.R.R. Tolkien would have celebrated his 126th birthday today.
"The Lord of the Rings” author was born on Jan. 3, 1892, in the town of Bloemfontein, South Africa. He eventually moved to England, where he lived as a child, according to his biography.
He died in 1973 at age 81.
A viral Reddit post last week unveiled a rather interesting Easter egg about his death.
“J.R.R. Tolkien passed away in 1973,” the Reddit user wrote. “If you reverse that number it is 3791. Three rings for the Elves. Seven for the Dwarves. Nine for Men. And one ring to rule them all.”
J.R.R. Tolkien passed away in 1973. If you reverse that number it is 3791. Three rings for the Elves. Seven for the Dwarves. Nine for Men. And one ring to rule them all. from r/Showerthoughts
This is a quick reference to an epigraph in the books that talk about the rings.
The entire passage reads:
"Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie."
Birthday: Social media users celebrated Tolkien’s birthday Thursday.