On what date was J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit first published?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit was first published on 21 September 1937.

George Allen & Unwin issued the book in London with illustrations by Tolkien himself. Its full title was The Hobbit, or There and Back Again. The story follows Bilbo Baggins, who leaves the Shire with Thorin Oakenshield’s company and the wizard Gandalf to reclaim treasure from the dragon Smaug.

The book began as a children’s fantasy adventure, but its success encouraged Tolkien’s publisher to request a sequel. That sequel eventually became The Lord of the Rings, a much larger and more serious work. Tolkien revised parts of The Hobbit, especially material connected with the discovery of the One Ring, so that it would fit the later mythology.

The first edition sold out quickly and received strong reviews. Its publication established Tolkien as a significant fantasy author before the appearance of his best-known trilogy.