What date does J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings story begin in the Shire?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings story begins in the Shire on 22 September 3001 of the Third Age. On that date Bilbo Baggins celebrates his eleventy-first birthday and unexpectedly leaves Bag End, while Frodo Baggins reaches his thirty-third birthday.

Bilbo’s birthday party is the opening setting of the novel. During the celebration, Bilbo uses the One Ring to vanish from view, then leaves it behind for Frodo. Gandalf later confirms that the ring is the dangerous Ruling Ring and urges Frodo to leave the Shire.

This date is sometimes confused with dates later in the quest. The Fellowship leaves Rivendell on 25 December 3018, while the Ring is destroyed on 25 March 3019. Tolkien’s calendar also differs from modern calendar systems, so the date is best identified in the story’s own Third Age reckoning. The birthday establishes the chronology that leads to Frodo’s departure.