Today is Star Wars Day, as in “May the Fourth Be With You.” It’s been an annual celebration for almost a decade, a time to rejoice over all things “Star Wars.” With the third new Star Wars movie coming this year, we have even more to celebrate. Here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about Star Wars Day.
1. The First “May the Fourth”
The earliest known reference to the pun was first used on May 4, 1979, the day Margaret Thatcher took office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Conservatives placed an advertisement in The London Evening News, saying “May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations.”
2. The First Star Wars Day
In 2011, Alice Quinn and Sean Ward organized the first organized celebration of Star Wars Day which took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Toronto Underground Cinema. Festivities included an Original Trilogy Trivia Game Show; a costume contest with celebrity judges; and the web’s best tribute films, mash-ups, parodies, and remixes on the big screen.
3. The Blu-Ray is Strong
Star Wars joined the celebration that same year by making a big announcement: the first Blu-Ray release of the movie series. Some fans were disappointed because they were hoping the announcement would be a brand-new Star Wars movie.
4. Mickey Loves Star Wars
Disney purchased Lucasfilm and the rights to Star Wars in late 2012. Since 2013, The Walt Disney Company has officially observed the holiday with several Star Wars events and festivities at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
5. Minor League Jedi
Minor League baseball teams such as the Toledo Mud Hens and the Durham Bulls have worn special uniforms (like the above “Chewbacca” uniform) as part of Star Wars Day promotions.
6. Star Wars in Space
On Star Wars Day 2015, the official NASA Twitter account shared this pic of astronauts in the International Space Station watching Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith. It may not be the first time astronauts have watched Star Wars in space, because they have free access to movies and TV in their off-hours. Hopefully, they watched better ones.
7. Revenge of the Fifth
The following day, May 5, has come to be called “Revenge of the Fifth,” a play on Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. On this day, fans join the “Dark Side” by celebrating the Sith Lords from the Star Wars series.
8. May the 14th
May 14th is the birthday of George Lucas. It’s probably not a coincidence that he released every one of his Star Wars movies in May the week after his birthday. The Force Awakens was the first Star Wars movie to be released in any other month of the year.
9. The Fourth Awakens
The Los Angeles City Council was the first U.S. city to create an official holiday by declaring May 25, 2007 as Star Wars Day, in honor of the 30th anniversary release date of Star Wars.
10. Geek Pride Day
A separate initiative for observing Geek Pride Day on May 25 is based on the Star Wars connection along with ties to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Towel Day) and Discworld.
How will you celebrate Star Wars Day?
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