Short answers, pulled from the story.
J. R. R. Tolkien wrote the first sentence about a hobbit in 1930 or 1931 while grading student essays. This single sentence launched a literary phenomenon that would redefine fantasy literature. The word hobbit was a neologism that appeared nowhere in the English language prior to Tolkien's pen.
The hobbits originated in Rhovanion in the Valley of Anduin between the great Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains. Three distinct types emerged from this ancient past: the Harfoots, the Fallohides, and the Stoors. The Harfoots were the first to cross the Misty Mountains, the Fallohides were the second group to arrive, and the Stoors were the last to migrate.
The hobbits found their permanent home in the year 1601 of the Third Age when Marcho and Blancho crossed the River Brandywine. The first Thain of the Shire was Bucca of the Marish who founded the Oldbuck family, and the office of Thain eventually passed to the Took family. The Old Took was a common ancestor of Bilbo and three of the four principal hobbit characters in The Lord of the Rings.
The hobbits' life expectancy was 100 years but some of Tolkien's main Hobbit characters lived much longer. Bilbo Baggins and the Old Took were described as living to the age of 130 or beyond. Hobbits were considered to come of age on their 33rd birthday so a 50-year-old hobbit would be regarded as entering middle-age.
The Stoors were the only group whose males were able to grow beards and they had an affinity for water. Their hands and feet were sturdier than those of other hobbits who generally didn't wear shoes for cushioning their steps. The Stoors were the only hobbits to use footwear of any kind because they tended to live near muddy riverbanks.