In J.R.R. Tolkien’s biography, in which city was he born in 1892?

J.R.R. Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein in 1892.

Tolkien was born on 3 January 1892 in Bloemfontein, then part of the Orange Free State in southern Africa. His parents were Arthur Tolkien, a bank manager, and Mabel Tolkien. The family later returned to England after Arthur’s death in 1896.

Although Tolkien spent most of his life in England, his birthplace is an important part of his biography. He grew up mainly in the West Midlands, where the countryside, place-names, and industrial landscapes contributed to his lifelong interest in language and invented worlds.

Bloemfontein is sometimes confused with Tolkien’s childhood home because he moved to Birmingham-area villages while still young. His South African birth, however, is firmly documented and is frequently included in biographies and museum accounts.