History of George Lucas in Timeline
George Lucas is an American filmmaker and philanthropist, best known as the creator of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. He founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and THX, contributing significantly to special effects and sound technology in filmmaking. Lucas is considered a key figure in the New Hollywood movement and a pioneer of the modern blockbuster, despite maintaining independence throughout his career. He sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012 and was nominated for four Academy Awards.
1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey Released
In 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey was released.
1969: Lucas Marries Marcia Lou Griffin
In 1969, George Lucas married film editor Marcia Lou Griffin.
1971: Lucas founds Lucasfilm
In 1971, George Lucas founded the film production company Lucasfilm.
1975: Founding of Industrial Light & Magic
In 1975, George Lucas founded Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to create visual effects for his upcoming film, Star Wars.
September 12, 1977: Lucasfilm incorporated
On September 12, 1977, Lucasfilm was officially incorporated as Lucasfilm Ltd.
1977: Lucas Awarded Inkpot Award
In 1977, George Lucas was awarded the Inkpot Award.
1977: ILM created special effects for Star Wars
In 1977, Industrial Light and Magic served as the Special Visual Effects department on Star Wars.
1978: Production of the Star Wars Holiday Special
In 1978, Lucas's Star Wars Corporation produced the Star Wars Holiday Special for 20th Century Fox Television and Lucas hired Charles Weber to manage the company.
1980: Firing of Charles Weber and Layoffs at Lucasfilm
In 1980, George Lucas fired Charles Weber due to financial disagreements and had to lay off half of the Los Angeles staff at Lucasfilm.
1981: Lucas Adopts Daughter Amanda
In 1981, George Lucas and Marcia Lou Griffin adopted a daughter named Amanda Lucas.
1983: Lucas Divorces Marcia Lou Griffin
In 1983, George Lucas and Marcia Lou Griffin divorced.
1988: Lucas Adopts Daughter Katie
In 1988, George Lucas adopted a daughter named Katie Lucas as a single parent.
1991: Lucas Receives Irving G. Thalberg Award
In 1991, George Lucas received the Academy's Irving G. Thalberg Award.
1991: The George Lucas Educational Foundation Founded
In 1991, The George Lucas Educational Foundation was founded as a nonprofit operating foundation with the goal to celebrate and encourage innovation in schools.
1993: Lucas Adopts Son Jett
In 1993, George Lucas adopted a son named Jett Lucas as a single parent.
1996: Lucas Advocates for E-Rate Program
In 1996, George Lucas, through his foundation, advocated for the E-Rate program as part of the Telecommunications Act.
1999: Release of Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace
In 1999, George Lucas finished and released Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace, marking his return to directing after over two decades. This film was the first in the prequel trilogy.
2001: Inspiration from 2001: A Space Odyssey
In 2001, George Lucas got inspiration for his film from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
2002: Release of Star Wars Episode II – Attack of the Clones
In 2002, Star Wars Episode II – Attack of the Clones was completed and released. Lucas hired Jonathan Hales to polish the script shortly before principal photography began.
2004: Lucas reflects on his transition
In 2004, George Lucas reflected on his transition from independent to corporate filmmaker. He noted that this shift mirrored the story of Darth Vader in some ways, but he was ultimately glad to have the freedom to make his films as he envisioned.
June 9, 2005: Lucas Receives AFI Life Achievement Award
On June 9, 2005, the American Film Institute awarded George Lucas its Life Achievement Award, shortly after the release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
2005: Lucas Donates to Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
In 2005, George Lucas donated $1 million to support the construction of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
2005: Lucas meets Mellody Hobson
In 2005, George Lucas met Mellody Hobson at a business conference.
2005: Release of Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
In 2005, Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the final prequel film in the Star Wars trilogy, was released. While met with mixed reviews from older fans and critics, the film was a box office success and popular with younger audiences.
2005: Star Wars score named greatest film score of all time
In 2005, the Star Wars score was listed by the American Film Institute as the greatest film score of all time.
September 19, 2006: Lucas Donates to USC Film School
On September 19, 2006, George Lucas donated between $175–180 million to the University of Southern California to expand the film school, marking the largest single donation to U.S.C. and the largest gift to a film school.
2006: Lucas Dates Mellody Hobson
In 2006, George Lucas began dating Mellody Hobson.
2006: Lucas Inducted into Science Fiction Hall of Fame
In 2006, George Lucas was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.
2007: Lucas Presents Best Director Award at Oscars
In 2007, George Lucas appeared at the 79th Academy Awards ceremony with Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola to present the Best Director award to Martin Scorsese.
2007: Lucas Serves as Grand Marshal
In 2007, George Lucas served as Grand Marshal for the Tournament of Roses Parade and made the ceremonial coin toss at the Rose Bowl.
June 24, 2008: Lucas Advocates for Free Broadband
On June 24, 2008, George Lucas testified before the United States House of Representatives subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet as the head of his Foundation. During his testimony, Lucas advocated for a free wireless broadband educational network.
September 2008: Lucas Named One of Greatest Americans
In September 2008, The Discovery Channel named George Lucas one of the 100 "Greatest Americans".
2008: Collaboration on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull & Star Wars: The Clone Wars premiere
In 2008, George Lucas collaborated with Jeff Nathanson on the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, directed by Steven Spielberg. In the same year, he served as the creator and executive producer for the Star Wars animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which premiered with a feature film.
2009: Lucas Inducted into California Hall of Fame
In 2009, George Lucas was one of 13 California Hall of Fame inductees in The California Museum's yearlong exhibit.
July 2, 2010: Rockwell Collection Displayed at Smithsonian
From July 2, 2010, to January 2, 2011, a collection of 57 Norman Rockwell paintings and drawings owned by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were displayed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in an exhibition titled Telling Stories.
January 2, 2011: Rockwell Collection Displayed at Smithsonian
From July 2, 2010, to January 2, 2011, a collection of 57 Norman Rockwell paintings and drawings owned by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were displayed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in an exhibition titled Telling Stories.
January 2012: Retirement from Blockbuster Films
In January 2012, George Lucas announced his retirement from producing large blockbuster films, shifting his focus to smaller, independently budgeted features.
June 2012: Kathleen Kennedy Appointed Co-Chair of Lucasfilm Ltd.
In June 2012, it was announced that Kathleen Kennedy was appointed as co-chair of Lucasfilm Ltd, and would succeed George Lucas as the company's sole leader after a year.
2012: Executive Producer for Red Tails
In 2012, George Lucas self-funded and served as executive producer for Red Tails, a war film about the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. He also took over directing reshoots.
2012: Lucas Sells Lucasfilm to Disney
In 2012, George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to the Walt Disney Company for $4.05 billion, intending to donate the majority of the proceeds to charity.
January 2013: Lucas and Hobson Announce Engagement
In January 2013, George Lucas and Mellody Hobson announced their engagement.
June 2013: Consideration of Lucas Cultural Arts Museum
In June 2013, George Lucas considered establishing the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum in San Francisco to display his collection of illustrations and pop art.
June 22, 2013: Lucas Marries Mellody Hobson
On June 22, 2013, George Lucas married Mellody Hobson at his Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California.
July 2013: Lucas Awarded National Medal of Arts
In July 2013, George Lucas was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama for his contributions to American cinema.
August 2013: Lucas and Hobson Welcome Daughter
In August 2013, George Lucas and Mellody Hobson welcomed a daughter, born via surrogate.
2013: Lucas and Hobson Donate to After School Matters
In 2013, George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson donated $25 million to the Chicago-based not-for-profit After School Matters.
May 2014: Proposal of Chicago Site for Lucas Museum
In May 2014, a potential lakefront site on Museum Campus in Chicago was proposed for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
June 2014: Chicago Selected as Location for Lucas Museum
In June 2014, Chicago was selected as the location for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, pending approval of the Chicago Plan Commission, which was granted.
October 2014: Lucas Receives Honorary Membership
In October 2014, George Lucas received Honorary Membership of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.
January 2015: Disney Discards Lucas's Story Ideas for Star Wars
In January 2015, George Lucas stated that Disney had discarded his story ideas for Episodes VII-IX of Star Wars.
August 2015: Lucas Inducted as a Disney Legend
In August 2015, George Lucas was inducted as a Disney Legend.
December 6, 2015: Lucas Honored at Kennedy Center Honors
On December 6, 2015, George Lucas was an honoree at the Kennedy Center Honors.
December 18, 2015: Release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens
On December 18, 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Kathleen Kennedy, was released as a joint production by Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company.
December 24, 2015: Lucas Compares Selling Lucasfilm to a Divorce
On December 24, 2015, George Lucas likened his decision to sell Lucasfilm to Disney to a divorce during an interview, outlining creative differences and defending his vision for the Star Wars films. He also criticized The Force Awakens for having a "retro feel" and later apologized for likening Disney to "white slavers".
2015: Lucas wrote Strange Magic
In 2015, George Lucas wrote the CGI film Strange Magic, his first musical, which was produced at Skywalker Ranch and directed by Gary Rydstrom.
April 15, 2016: Lucas Donates to Obama Foundation
On April 15, 2016, it was reported that George Lucas had donated between $501,000 and $1 million through the Lucas Family Foundation to the Obama Foundation.
June 24, 2016: Lucas Abandons Chicago Museum Plans
On June 24, 2016, George Lucas announced that he was abandoning his plans to locate the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Chicago due to a lawsuit and would instead build the museum in California.
October 2016: Lucas Steps Back from Indiana Jones Film Story
In October 2016, George Lucas announced his decision to not be involved in the story of the new Indiana Jones film, though he was credited as an executive producer.
2016: Lucas Supports Hillary Clinton
In 2016, George Lucas supported Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election.
January 17, 2017: Lucas Announces Los Angeles Location for Museum
On January 17, 2017, George Lucas announced that the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art would be constructed in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, with completion due in 2026.
2017: Lucas Praises The Last Jedi
In 2017, following the release of The Last Jedi, George Lucas described the film as "beautifully made".
2019: Meeting with J. J. Abrams before The Rise of Skywalker
In 2019, George Lucas met with J.J. Abrams before Abrams began writing the script for The Rise of Skywalker, the final film of the sequel trilogy.
2021: Lucas and Hobson donate to NYU
In 2021, George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson made a donation to NYU through the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation to establish the Martin Scorsese Institute of Global Cinematic Arts.
2021: Lucas Action Figure Released
In 2021, coinciding with Lucasfilm's 50th anniversary, an action figure of George Lucas in stormtrooper disguise was released as part of Hasbro's Star Wars: The Black Series.
May 2024: Lucas Receives Honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes
In May 2024, George Lucas was given the Honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
July 2025: Preview of Lucas Museum at San Diego Comic-Con
In July 2025, George Lucas made his first appearance at San Diego Comic-Con, where he previewed the Lucas Museum and showcased pieces that will be part of the opening exhibits.
2026: Expected completion of Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is due to be completed in 2026.
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