Lord of the Rings Published

July 19, 2009

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Profile America — Sunday, July 19th. On this date 55 years ago, the first part of one of the most sweeping and popular high fantasy novels of the last century was published in London, “The Lord of the Rings,” by J.R.R. Tolkien. The book appeared in three volumes over the course of more than a year. The final volume was published about the time the series became available in the U.S. The trilogy has been translated into many languages and inspired artwork, video games, television and an internationally popular trio of movies. “The Lord of the Rings,” along with Tolkien’s earlier work, “The Hobbit,” have been continuously in print for 45 years, and are part of the $3 billion of new books sold annually in the U.S. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2009, p. 369
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 1097
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2009edition.html