In 1977, a monumental event took place that defined the peak of our history: the onset of the Star Wars franchise. Although the aforementioned praise may have been blown out of proportion, the widespread influence this science fiction and fantasy film series has is indisputable.

There is even a holiday in honor of the franchise. The International Star Wars day takes place on May 4, deemed most appropriate due to the elaborate pun that can be derived from it: “May the fourth be with you.” The phrase was first coined by Margaret Thatcher’s political party in the newspapers to congratulate her succession as the first female prime minister of Britain. They took out an ad in the London Evening News that said, “May the Fourth be with you, Maggie. Congratulations.” Additionally, Star Wars turns 40-years-old on May 25. This marks four decades since the release of the initial film. Due to this special occasion, people around the globe have collectively come together to celebrate and honor Star Wars by holding events to pay tribute to the franchise.

George Lucas is the mastermind behind the series that is set “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.” After the release of the critically acclaimed film, Star Wars, later renamed A New Hope, the series went on to span numerous sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and more. The following sequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), became just as successful. These three films constitute the original Star Wars trilogy. Due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback, the franchise continued to branch out the series and added the installment of a prequel trilogy. However, the prequel series received mixed reviews from both critics and fans. The lack of success did not deter Lucas from further expanding the world of Star Wars. A sequel trilogy was recently introduced in 2015, beginning with The Force Awakens and the most recent release from the franchise, The Last Jedi (2017). The last of the sequels, whose title is still unknown, is set to release in 2019. Through all these films, the combined box office revenue is over $7.5 billion, making Star Wars the third highest-grossing film series. However, the popularity of the series has created an extensive media franchise. The merchandising alone garnered a total value estimated at $42 billion.

These films have revolutionized the entertainment industry, being one of the first to introduce outer space as the main setting of a series. Star Wars aided in the popularization of the fantasy genre. Their audience is composed of people from all demographics and has garnered worldwide popularity. May Star Wars live throughout history as one of the greatest film franchises to exist.