On what date did J.R.R. Tolkien die?

J.R.R. Tolkien died on 2 September 1973. He was 81 years old and died in Bournemouth, England.

Tolkien had spent much of his adult life as a philologist, academic, and writer. His major Middle-earth works included The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, while The Silmarillion was published posthumously in 1977 under the editorship of his son Christopher Tolkien.

Tolkien was buried in Wolvercote Cemetery in Oxford alongside his wife, Edith. Their grave identifies them with the names Beren and Lúthien, two figures from Tolkien’s mythology whose love story reflects elements of their own relationship. Tolkien’s death did not end the publication of his writings, because his papers and unfinished materials continued to be edited and released afterward.