Events in Film & TV
Film Premiere
1977-05-25 Original "Star Wars" movie (Episode IV – A New Hope), directed by George Lucas and starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, premieres
- 1977-09-29 "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" by Meco hits #1
Music History
1980-05-21 "Star Wars Episode V - Empire Strikes Back", produced by George Lucas opens in cinemas in UK and North America
- 1983-05-25 "Return of the Jedi" (Star Wars Episode VI), produced by George Lucas first released
Strategic Defense Initiative
1989-02-22 UK physicist Stephen Hawking calls the proposed missile defense system known as Star Wars a "deliberate fraud"
Film Release
1999-05-19 "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace", directed by George Lucas, starring Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Liam Neeson, is released in cinemas
Film Release
2002-05-16 "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" directed by George Lucas, starring Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman, opens in cinemas
- 2005-05-15 "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith", directed by George Lucas, starring Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman, premieres at the Cannes Film Festival
Film & TV History
2012-10-30 Walt Disney purchases Lucasfilm Ltd, and its rights for Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, for $4.05 billion
Film & TV History
2015-07-09 48th San Diego Comic-Con begins (till 12th) - includes preview of new Star Wars film by J.J. Abrams
Film Premiere
2015-12-14 "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Harrison Ford has its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles
- 2016-01-06 "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" breaks North American box office record, passing the $760.5M taken by "Avatar"
- 2016-12-10 "Rogue One", 1st of the Star Wars Anthology films, directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Felicity Jones, premieres in Los Angeles
Film Premiere
2017-12-09 "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" directed by Rian Johnson, starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Adam Driver premieres in Los Angeles
Music History
2017-12-17 "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" takes more than $450m worldwide in its opening weekend, 2nd largest opening in North America ($220m)
- 2019-09-25 Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige reported to have been asked to develop a Star Wars film by the Walt Disney Company
Film & TV History
2019-11-12 Space western TV series set in the Star Wars franchise "The Mandalorian" by Jon Favreau is released on Disney+
Birthdays in Film & TV
- 1911-01-31 Eddie Byrne, British actor (Star Wars, Island of Terror), born in Birmingham, England (d. 1981)
- 1911-08-03 Alex McCrindle, Scottish actor (Star Wars, Eye of the Needle), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 1990)
Peter Cushing (1913-1994)
1913-05-26 English actor (Dracula, Star Wars, Dr Who), born in Kenley, Surrey, England
- 1914-09-05 Stuart Freeborn, English motion picture make-up artist (Star Wars: Yoda, Jabba the Hut), born in London, England (d. 2013)
- 1922-06-28 Erik Bauersfeld, American voice actor (Star Wars' Admiral Ackbar "Its a trap"), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2016)
- 1922-09-15 Bob Anderson, English Olympic Fencer, renowned film fight choreographer (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings) (d. 2012)
- 1929-06-13 Ralph McQuarrie, American conceptual designer (Star Wars, E.T.), born in Gary, Indiana (d. 2012)
James Earl Jones (92 years old)
1931-01-17 American Tony, Emmy, Grammy, and Golden Globe winning actor (The Great White Hope; Star Wars - "voice of Darth Vader"; Field Of Dreams"), born in Arkabutla, Mississippi
John Williams (91 years old)
1932-02-08 American composer responsible for some of the most recognizable film scores (Jaws, Star Wars, Harry Potter, India Jones, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), born in NYC, New York
- 1934-08-24 Kenny Baker, English actor (R2-D2 in Star Wars, Time Bandits), born in Birmingham, England (d. 2016)
Harrison Ford (80 years old)
1942-07-13 American actor (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Blade Runner), born in Chicago, Illinois
George Lucas (78 years old)
1944-05-14 American film director, screenwriter, and producer (Star Wars; Indiana Jones; American Graffiti), born in Modesto, California
- 1944-05-19 Peter Mayhew, British-American actor (Chewbacca in Star Wars), born in London, England (d. 2019)
- 1944-08-11 Ian McDiarmid, Scottish stage director, and stage and screen actor (Star Wars -"Palpatine"), born in Carnoustie, Scotland
- 1946-02-21 Anthony Daniels, British actor and mime artist (Star Wars - "C-3PO"), born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England
- 1946-04-19 Tim Curry, English actor (Rocky Horror Picture Show, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), born in Grappenhall, Cheshire, England
- 1946-07-16 Richard LeParmentier, American actor (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2013)
- 1946-11-01 Dennis Muren, American special effects artist (Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi), born in Glendale, California
Mark Hamill (71 years old)
1951-09-25 American actor (Luke Skywalker-Star Wars), born in Oakland, California
- 1954-10-27 Jan Duursema, American comic book artist (Star Wars comics), born in New Jersey
Carrie Fisher (1956-2016)
1956-10-21 American actress (Princess Leia in Star Wars, When Harry Met Sally...) and writer (Postcards from the Edge), born in Burbank, California
- 1958-09-03 Kevin Kiner, American TV and film composer (CSI: Miami; Star Wars: The Clone Wars), born in San Bernardino, California
- 1963-07-27 Donnie Yen, Hong Kong actor, martial artist and director (Ip Man, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), born in Guangzhou, China
- 1963-10-23 Allison Shearmur [Allison Ivy Brecker], American film executive and producer (Star Wars, The Hunger Games, Jason Bourne), born in NYC, New York (d. 2018)
J. J. Abrams (56 years old)
1966-06-27 American writer, producer and director (Lost, Star Wars: the Force Awakens), born in NYC, New York
Ewan McGregor (51 years old)
1971-03-31 Scottish actor (Trainspotting, Star Wars Episodes I, II, III), born in Perth, Scotland
- 1973-12-17 Rian Johnson, American filmmaker (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Knives Out), born in Silver Springs, Maryland
- 1974-06-07 David Filoni, American director, producer, and screenwriter (Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-20 TV series); The Mandalorian), born in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Hayden Christensen (41 years old)
1981-04-19 Canadian actor (Sam-Life as a House, Star Wars), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
Natalie Portman (41 years old)
1981-06-09 Israeli-American actress (V for Vendetta, Black Swan, Star Wars), born in Jerusalem, Israel
- 1981-09-22 Ashley Eckstein, American actress (voice of Ahsoka Tan in Star Wars), born in Louisville, Kentucky
Adam Driver (39 years old)
1983-11-19 American actor (Girls, Star Wars), born in Fontana, California
Daniel Logan (35 years old)
1987-06-06 New Zealand actor (Boba Fett-Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones), born in Auckland, New Zealand
- 1989-11-22 Alden Ehrenreich, American actor (Solo: A Star Wars Story), born in Los Angeles, California
John Boyega (31 years old)
1992-03-17 English actor (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), born in London
Daisy Ridley (30 years old)
1992-04-10 English actress (Star Wars: the Force Awakens), born in London
Weddings in Film & TV
Alec Guinness
1938-06-20 British actor Alec Guinness (24) weds actress Merula Sylvia Salaman (23)
Mark Hamill
1978-12-17 Star Wars actor Mark Hamill (26) weds dental hygienist Marilou York (23) on a civil ceremony
George Lucas & Mellody Hobson
2013-06-22 Star Wars creator George Lucas (69) weds Dreamworks Animation chairman Mellody Hobson (44) at Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California
Deaths in Film & TV
- 1981-08-21 Eddie Byrne, British actor (Star Wars, Island of Terror), dies from a stroke at 70
- 1990-04-20 Alex McCrindle, Scottish actor (Star Wars, Eye of the Needle), dies at 78
Peter Cushing (1913-1994)
1994-08-11 English actor (Dracula, Star Wars, Dr Who), dies of cancer at 81
- 2012-03-03 Ralph McQuarrie, American conceptual designer (Star Wars, E.T.), dies at 82
- 2013-04-15 Richard LeParmentier, American actor (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope), dies at 66
- 2016-04-03 Erik Bauersfeld, American voice actor (Star Wars' Admiral Ackbar "Its a trap"), dies at 93
- 2016-08-13 Kenny Baker, English actor (R2-D2 in Star Wars, Time Bandits), dies at 81
Carrie Fisher (1956-2016)
2016-12-27 American actress (Princess Leia in Star Wars, When Harry Met Sally...) and writer (Postcards from the Edge), dies at 60 four days after suffering a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles
- 2018-01-19 Allison Shearmur [Allison Ivy Brecker], American film executive and producer (Star Wars, The Hunger Games, Jason Bourne), dies of complications from lung cancer at 54
- 2019-04-30 Peter Mayhew, British American actor (Chewbacca in Star Wars), dies at 74