1950:Holy Year declared by Pope Pius XII, who announced on December 25, 1950 that the Tomb of Saint Peter had been identified by archeologists underneath Saint Peter Basilica; canonization of Pope Pius X, Maria Goretti; encyclical Humani generis 1950: The Assumption of Mary is defined as dogma by Pius XII 1952: Francois Mauriac wins Noble Prize in Literature. He wrote the foreword to Elie Wiesel's book Night, having encouraged Wiesel earlier to write about his experiences as a Jew during the Holocaust. 1954: First Marian year in Church history proclaimed by Pius XII, who introduced Marian Feast Queenship of Mary 1954: J.R.R. Tolkien publishes The Lord of the Rings, often cited for its Christian and Catholic themes.