History of Star Wars in Timeline

Star Wars is a highly successful American space opera franchise that originated with the 1977 film. Created by George Lucas, it quickly evolved into a global pop culture phenomenon, expanding into a vast fictional universe through films, television, video games, books, and more. Its widespread appeal has made it one of the highest-grossing media franchises ever.

1977: Lucas Takes Merchandising Rights

In 1977, George Lucas decided to take a $500,000 pay cut to his salary as director in exchange for full ownership of the franchise's merchandising rights.

1977: Release of the First Topps Star Wars Trading Cards

In 1977, Topps released the first "blue" series of Star Wars Trading Cards.

1977: Release of Star Wars: Escape from the Death Star Board Game

In 1977, the board game Star Wars: Escape from the Death Star was released.

1977: Star Wars as a Cultural Unifier

In 1977, the first Star Wars film was a cultural unifier, enjoyed by a wide spectrum of people, and helped launch the science-fiction boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

1977: Star Wars Reinvigorates 20th Century Fox

In 1977, the original Star Wars film reinvigorated 20th Century Fox, doubling its stock price and leading to record profits.

1977: Political Science Influences

Since the franchise launched in 1977, political science has been an important element of Star Wars, focusing on a struggle between democracy and dictatorship, with designs and terms influenced by historical military elements.

1979: Influence on Alien

In 1979, Lucas's concept of a "used universe" influenced Ridley Scott's Alien.

1981: Influence on Mad Max 2

In 1981, Lucas's concept of a "used universe" influenced George Miller's Mad Max 2.

1982: Influence on Blade Runner

In 1982, Lucas's concept of a "used universe" influenced Ridley Scott's Blade Runner.

1984: Influence on The Terminator

In 1984, Lucas's concept of a "used universe" influenced James Cameron's The Terminator.

1986: Influence on Aliens

In 1986, Lucas's concept of a "used universe" influenced James Cameron's Aliens.

1987: Franchise Makes $2.6 Billion in Merchandising

By 1987, the first three Star Wars films made US$2.6 billion in merchandising revenue.

1987: Release of Star Tours

In 1987, the Disneyland ride Star Tours was released.

1989: Star Wars Film Selected for Preservation

In 1989, the Library of Congress selected the original Star Wars film for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry.

1993: Value of "Floating Yoda" Card

In 1993, the Galaxy Series II "floating Yoda" P3 card became a highly collectible trading card, often commanding US$1,000 or more.

1995: Decipher, Inc. creates the Star Wars Customizable Card Game

From 1995, Decipher, Inc. had the license for, created, and produced the Star Wars Customizable Card Game.

1995: Release of Dark Forces

In 1995, LucasArts released Dark Forces, a hybrid adventure game, the first Star Wars first-person shooter that incorporated puzzles and strategy.

1996: Release of Shadows of the Empire

In 1996, Shadows of the Empire, a multimedia project set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi that included a novel by Steve Perry, a comic book series, a video game, and action figures, was released.

Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars)

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1997: Special Editions Presented for Preservation

In 1997, 35 mm reels of the Special Editions were the versions initially presented for preservation because of the difficulty of transferring from the original prints.

1997: Pez Dispensers Production

In 1997, Pez dispensers began to be produced.

1997: Star Wars Monopoly and Themed Games Released

In 1997, a Star Wars Monopoly and themed versions of Trivial Pursuit and Battleship were released.

2001: End of Decipher, Inc.'s Star Wars Card Game License

In 2001, Decipher, Inc.'s license for the Star Wars Customizable Card Game ended.

2001: Influence on The Lord of the Rings

In 2001, Lucas's concept of a "used universe" influenced Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

2002: Lucasfilm Sponsors Fan Film Awards

In 2002, Lucasfilm sponsored the first annual Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards.

2003: Influence on The Lord of the Rings

In 2003, Lucas's concept of a "used universe" influenced Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

2003: Launch of Star Wars Galaxies

In 2003, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Star Wars Galaxies, was launched.

2005: Release of The Clone Wars Edition of Risk

In 2005, Hasbro released The Clone Wars Edition of the board game Risk.

2006: Release of The Original Trilogy Edition of Risk

In 2006, Hasbro released the Original Trilogy Edition of the board game Risk.

2007: Change in Fan Film Submission Standards

In 2007, Lucasfilm changed the submission standards for the Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards to allow in-universe fiction entries.

2008: Release of The Force Unleashed

In 2008, The Force Unleashed, a multimedia project set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope that included a novel and a video game, was released.

2010: Influence on Inception

In 2010, Christopher Nolan cited Star Wars as an influence when making the blockbuster film Inception.

2010: The Empire Strikes Back Film Selected for Preservation

In 2010, The Empire Strikes Back film was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry.

2010: Release of The Force Unleashed Sequel

In 2010, The Force Unleashed sequel was released as part of The Force Unleashed multimedia project.

2011: Release of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue

In 2011, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, the successor to the Disneyland ride Star Tours, was released.

2011: Star Wars Galaxies Shuts Down

In 2011, Star Wars Galaxies, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game, ceased operation.

2012: Franchise Makes $20 Billion in Merchandising

By 2012, the first six Star Wars films produced approximately US$20 billion in merchandising revenue.

2013: LucasArts Ceases as a Developer

In 2013, after Disney bought Lucasfilm, LucasArts ceased its role as a developer, although it still operates as a licensor.

November 2015: Release of Star Wars: Battlefront

In November 2015, the Battlefront games received a canonical reboot with the release of Star Wars: Battlefront.

November 2017: Release of Jedi Challenges and Battlefront II

In November 2017, Disney partnered with Lenovo to release the augmented reality video game Jedi Challenges, and Battlefront II, the sequel to the Battlefront games, was also released.