This Day in Pop Culture for May 4

1979: May the Fourth Be with You

The unofficial holiday known as Star Wars Day began as a funny twist from a line from the movies. It is said that “May the Fourth be with You” was first used on May 4, 1979 in an advertisement placed in The London England News when Margaret Thatcher took the role as Prime Minister. The ad said, “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.” The first organized event for Star Wars Day took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 2011 which included the “Original Trilogy Trivia Game Show”, a costume contest and more. The Walt Disney Company has celebrated the day ever year since 2013 with special events at Disneyland in California and Disney Hollywood Studios in Florida. In 2015, astronauts within the International Space Station took park by watching Star Wars.