It began when the Dark Lord Sauron forged the Rings of Power. 3 were given to the Elves, 7 were given to the Dwarves, and nine were given to the race of Men. Within these rings, Sauron bound the power and the will to rule each race.
In the land of Mordor, Sauron forged another ring, a master ring, and within this ring he bound his malice, and his will to rule every living thing.
"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them.
One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them."
Sauron launched attacks on the free people of Middle Earth, and one by one, they fell. Elves and Men joined together to defend the freedom of Middle Earth on the slopes of Mt. Doom. Victory was near, until Elendil, King of Men, was slain by Sauron. Isildur, son of the King, took up his father's sword and cut off the fingers of Sauron. Sauron was defeated.
Isildur had this one chance to destroy the ring forever, but his heart had been corrupted by the power of the ring. Isildur was attacked by goblins and was killed. The ring slipped from his necklace to the bottom of a river.
The ring became a myth and was forgotten for 2,500 years, until, by chance, Deagol found the ring. Smeagol, Deagol's brother, coveted it and killed Deagol. He took the ring from Deagol, and over time, became Gollum.
Gollum took the ring deep into the tunnels under the Misty Mountains, and there it consumed him.Gollum lived unnaturally long (he was a Hobbit, and their average life span is 100). For 500 years, it corrupted his ming. Then, the ring abandoned Gollum, and was picked up by Bilbo Baggins of the Shire. Bilbo kept the ring for 60 years, until he left the Shire for Rivendell, when he, against his will and at Gandalf's urging, left the ring for Frodo.
The Dark Lord sent out the Nazgul, Ringwraiths, to search for his ring. Frodo knew he had to take the ring to Mt. Doom and destroy it, for only there can it be unmade.
In Rivendell, Frodo volunteered to do this. Aragorn, son of Arathorn, volunteered to help him. As did Gandalf the Grey, Legolas Greenleaf, Gimli, son of Gloin, Boromir, son of Denethor, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, and Meriadoc Brandybuck. They formed the Fellowship of the Ring.
They faced many obstacles on their journey to Mordor, including the Uruk-Hai, a Balrog, a Cave Troll, Moria Orcs, and spies of Saruman. The Fellowship broke at Parth Galen, and Frodo and Sam journeyed to Mordor alone.
Frodo resisted the temptation of the ring until he was on the very slopes of Mt. Doom, where he decided that he would keep the ring. Gollum came to him and bit off Frodo's ring finger and fell into the fires of Mt. Doom, destroying him and the ring forever.