The film version of the original adventure of "The Hobbit" is released, grossing $37 million on opening night.
The first installment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, "The Fellowship of the Ring," is released and introduces Hobbits to the big screen.
Tolkien sold the movie rights, plus rights to tie-in products, for "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" to United Artists for £100,000.
On September 21, 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic, "The Hobbit: There and Back Again," was published. It opened to widespread critical acclaim.
