Star Wars Day: What Is It And The History Of May The 4th Be With You

gamespot.com:

Happy Star Wars Day to everyone in a galaxy far, far away. Today, you'll see and hear people say «May the 4th be with you.» And sure, it may feel a little weird, but May 4 is the day where people around the world celebrate the Star Wars franchise. But where does this tradition come from and what does it mean?

The first movie in the multimedia franchise, Star Wars: A New Hope, hit theaters on May 25, 1977. The movie was a smashing success making over $775 million globally. Keep in mind, this is 1977 and getting close to that $1 billion mark during that time was huge. It was already a cultural phenomenon, just after one movie. And 44 years later, it's still going strong.

Obviously, the phrase «May the 4th be with you» is based on «May the Force be with you,» something said numerous times in the Star Wars films. However, the phrase «May the fourth be with you» has some pretty interesting origins. It wasn't someone from the world of Star Wars that coined the phrase. Back on May 4, 1979, to celebrate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's victory, her political party took out an ad in the London Evening News which said, «May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.» While we couldn't find an archived copy of that edition, Star Wars backs it up.

The phrase found its way into pop culture through various TV shows, books, and once again, the British government, but Star Wars Day didn't officially arrive until 2011. Sean Ward and Alice Quinn put together a celebration of all things Star Wars in Toronto, Canada. One year later, Star Wars Day happened again in Toronto with the same founders at the Toronto Underground Cinema, but this time, it caught the eye of the media, boosting its signal. Also, you get some real wonderful and