Famous People in Birmingham

You would be surprised how many famous people have lived or were born in Birmingham. Here are four examples:

JRR Tolkien (Writer) 1892- 1973

Tolkien was the author of the famous fantasy books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Hespent much of his life teaching at university, especially in Oxford. He had a passion for constructing languages, such as the Elvish languages of Middle Earth in The Lord of the Rings. He spent some years living in various areas of Birmingham, which served as inspiration for his stories, particularly for ‘The Great Mill’ in The Hobbit and the ‘Two Towers’ in The Lord of the Rings. Nowadays, there is a dedicated ‘Tolkien Trail’ in Birmingham, which is a tour of the different places where he lived or visited in the area.

Ozzy Osbourne (Musician)Born 1948

Osbourne is the singer of one of the most famous heavy metal bands of all time, Black Sabbath, who were formed in the early 1970s, and remain one of the most innovative and influential music groups. He grew up in the area of Aston in Birmingham, where he worked in construction and in factories until he became successful in the music business. He has always been proud of being from Birmingham and of his Brummie accent. Nowadays, there is a bridge on Broad Street in Birmingham dedicated to Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath.

Felicity Jones (Actress)Born 1983

Jones is a famous British actress that has appeared in many famous blockbuster films, such as RogueOne: A Star Wars Story in 2016 and The Theory of Everything in 2014. Over the years, she has won many international awards for her acting, such as the Empire Award for ‘Best Female Newcomer’ and the ‘Special Award’ in the Sundance Film Festival. She was born in Birmingham and attended some of the most distinguished schools in the city, such as King Norton’s Girls School and King Edward VI Handsworth School. She always talks about how she learnt how to act when she was growing up in Birmingham, and how lucky she was to have come from such a culturally-rich city.

John Cadbury (Trader) 1801– 1889

Cadbury was an English tea and coffee trader that is most famous as the founder of Cadbury’s chocolate, which is now the second biggest confectionary brand in the world after Mars. Unlike other famous people who moved to different cities, Cadbury lived in Birmingham all his life. Even though he came from a wealthy family, he was not allowed to enter university in England, so he decided to start his own business instead. When he was still young, he trained as a tea and coffee dealer until he opened his own shop on Bull Street in Birmingham. He gradually became famous for preparing many different types of drinking chocolate and, eventually, he created his own factory. His sons, Richard and George, developed the chocolate factory in Bourneville in the southwest side of Birmingham, where it has remained ever since and can be visited all year round.