The origins of May the 4th, Star Wars Day, explained

Belive it or not, Star Wars Day, May the 4th — as in, May the Force Fourth be with you — did not start with Lucasfilm. The origins of this day, which celebrates all things Star Wars, aren't known exactly, but Lucasfilm, the company that created the iconic franchise, has provided a bit of explanation as to how today came to be known as Star Wars Day.

Like all good things in life, it starts with a pun.

Say “May the 4th Be With You” out loud and you’ll hear the pun that Star Wars fans worldwide have turned into a rallying cry to proclaim their love of the saga. It’s the worldwide day to say “May the Force be with you” to all, and celebrate the beloved Star Wars story that binds our galaxy together.

But where did "May the 4th" come from? According to Lucasfilm, one of the earliers known records of "May the 4th" used in popular culture is in 1979. As described by author Alan Arnold while chronicling the making of The Empire Strikes Back, he explained:

Friday, May 4

“Margaret Thatcher has won the election and become Britain’s first woman prime minister. To celebrate their victory her party took a half page of advertising space in the London Evening News. This message, referring to the day of victory, was ‘May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations,’ further proof of the extent to which Star Wars has influenced us all.”

It's unclear if that's exactly when this whole holiday started, but it is one of the earliest documented examples of how Star Wars has influenced culture.

Beyond the pun, there are other dates in May that are significant to the Star Wars franchise. For starters, the original Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope debuted on May 25, 1977, jump-starting a franchise that would go on to influence society in all sorts of ways.

Also, George Lucas' birthday is on May 14th. While many of us still hold a grudge against Lucas for what he did with the prequel trilogy, without him, today probably wouldn't exist.

And lastly, May marks the start of the popular Star Wars Weekends at Walt Disney World Resort. During this time, Hollywood Studios (formerly known as MGM) hosts a massive Star Wars celebration, featuring character greetings, special merchandise, a spectacular themed fireworks show, and the opportunity to see your favorite actors from the various Star Wars shows and movies. And much more, of course.

This year, May the 4th is bigger than ever with the upcoming releases of Star Wars: The Force Awakens — the 7th installment in the core Star Wars movie franchise — as well as Star Wars: Battlefront, EA's new first-person shooter video game.

[Star Wars]