Bilbo celebrates his 111th birthday at the Long-expected Party. Tolkien gives the age the playful Hobbit expression “eleventy-first,” a memorable detail that opens The Lord of the Rings.
The party takes place in the Shire at Bag End. Bilbo uses the occasion to deliver a spectacular speech, perform a vanishing act with the One Ring, and leave the Shire for Rivendell. He passes the Ring and most of his possessions to Frodo, his younger cousin and heir.
The number also establishes the unusual longevity of Hobbits. Bilbo is remarkably old by Hobbit standards, while Frodo turns 33 on the same date and comes of age. The story then jumps forward 17 years before Gandalf confirms that Bilbo’s ring is actually the One Ring.
Readers sometimes confuse Bilbo’s age with Frodo’s or assume “eleventy-first” means 1111. It means 111: “eleventy” is Tolkien’s whimsical way of representing 110, followed by “first.” The event is therefore both a birthday celebration and the story’s decisive turning point.