Overview
- Star Wars Day stems from the phrase “May the Force be with you,” which sounds like “May the Fourth,” leading fans to mark the date each year.
- The earliest documented public use of “May the Fourth be with you” appears in a May 1979 London Evening News ad tied to Margaret Thatcher’s election.
- Reporters note there is no single, definitive origin for the modern celebration, with conflicting accounts about the details of the 1979 ad.
- The day has become a marketing fixture, growing after Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, with studios timing trailers, merchandise, and Disney+ releases to the date.
- Fans celebrate through cosplay and family traditions at conventions such as Calgary Expo, and actors like Temuera Morrison say the stories helped some viewers through hard times.