The following event(s) took place in Middle-earth on March 25th:
- The Captains of the West come to the Black Gate (3019)
- The Host is surrounded on the Slag-hills (3019)
- Downfall of Barad-dûr and the passing of Sauron (3019)
- Frodo and Samwise reach the Sammath Naur (3019)
- Gollum seizes the Ring and falls in the Cracks of Doom (3019)
- Minas Tirith (3019)
- Gondor proclaims their New Year (3019)
- Frodo comes home (3020)
- Birth of Elanor the Fair, daughter of Samwise (3021)
- The First “Tolkien Reading Day” (2003)
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March 25, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. The Captains of the West come to the Black Gate.
(not from the appendices)
“No choice was left them but to play their part to its end. Therefore Aragorn now set the host in such array as could best be contrived…”
(Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 201-208 RotK)
2. The Host is surrounded on the Slag-hills.
(from the appendices)
“Down from the hills on either side of the Morannon poured Orcs innumerable. The men of the West were trapped…”
(Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 201-208 RotK)
3. Downfall of Barad-dûr and the passing of Sauron.
(from the appendices)
“…under the wings of the Nazgul the shadows of death fell dark upon the earth Aragorn stood beneath his banner, silent and stern… …Upon the hill-top stood Gandalf, and he was white and cold and no shadow fell upon him…”
(Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 278-280 RotK)
4. Frodo and Samwise reach the Sammath Naur.
(from the appendices)
“The path climbed on… …and came to the dark door in the Mountain’s side, the door of the Sammath Naur… …all Mordor lay about the Mountain like a dead land, silent, shadow-folded, waiting for some dreadful stroke. Sam came to the gaping mouth and peered in…”
(Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 273-274 RotK)
5. Gollum seizes the Ring and falls in the Cracks of Doom.
(from the appendices)
“Sam got up… …dazed, and blood from his head dripped in his eyes. He groped forward, and then he saw a strange and terrible thing. Gollum on the edge of the abyss was fighting like a mad thing with an unseen foe…”
(Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 274-282 RotK)
6. Minas Tirith
(from the appendices)
“And so the fifth day came since the Lady Éowyn went first to Faramir; and they stood now together once more upon the wall of the City and looked out…”
(Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 295-298 RotK)
7. Gondor proclaims their New Year on this date
(not from the appendices)
“[Gandalf speaking to Sam]…in Gondor the New Year will always now begin upon the twenty-fifth of March when Sauron fell, and when you were brought out of the fire to the King…”
(Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 283 RotK)
March 25, 3020 (S.R. 1420)
1. Frodo comes home.
(not from the appendices)
“Sam stayed at first at the Cottons’ with Frodo; but when the New Row was ready he went with the Gaffer.”
(Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 376 RotK)
March 25, 3021 (S.R. 1421)
1. Birth of Elanor the Fair, daughter of Samwise.
(from the appendices)
“Frodo was ill again in March, but with a great effort he concealed it… …Sam had other things to think about…”
(Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 378 RotK)
March 25, 2003
The First “Tolkien Reading Day”
Launched in 2003 by the ‘Tolkien Society’, this annual event is a celebration of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works.
