Bilbo Baggins celebrates his 111th birthday at the start of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
The birthday party takes place in Hobbiton at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring. Bilbo’s long life is presented as remarkable even by the standards of hobbits, who generally live longer than humans. The event also marks his public farewell before he leaves the Shire.
Bilbo uses the party to pass the One Ring to his heir, Frodo Baggins. His disappearance during the speech is one of the novel’s early memorable scenes. After the celebration, Bilbo departs for Rivendell, leaving Frodo with the Ring and with the responsibility of keeping it hidden.
A common mix-up is confusing Bilbo’s age with Frodo’s. Frodo is 33 when he comes of age, but he is 50 when he leaves the Shire with the Ring. Bilbo’s birthday is 22 September, a date shared with Frodo.