Bilbo Baggins is 50 years old at the start of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
Bilbo is introduced as a respectable hobbit of Hobbiton whose life is comfortable, predictable, and carefully arranged. Gandalf’s arrival and the visit of Thorin Oakenshield’s company disrupt that routine and draw Bilbo into the quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain.
The number 50 is important because it marks Bilbo as an established adult rather than a young adventurer. His unexpected journey contrasts with the quiet expectations of Hobbit society. By the end of the adventure, he has gained experience, treasure, and the mysterious ring taken from Gollum.
A common mix-up concerns Bilbo’s 111th birthday, which begins The Lord of the Rings. Bilbo reaches 111 years old decades after The Hobbit’s adventure. Tolkien’s chronology therefore gives Bilbo two especially memorable ages: 50 when he leaves with the dwarves and 111 when he gives up the Ring.