George Lucas

Born: 14th May 1944

Where: Modesto, California, USA

The one-time wannabe racing driver is the man behind the Star Wars phenomenon - one of the greatest film franchises in movie history.

The six-instalment series of good versus evil across the galaxies took 28 years to make and brought in almost £5bn in merchandising alone.

Lucas grew up on a Californian walnut ranch and as a teenager developed an interest in drag car racing.

He planned to become a professional racing driver but a crippling accident just after his high school graduation ended that dream permanently.

He enrolled in the University of Southern California film school and made several short films including THX-1138: 4EB which won first prize at the 1967-68 National Student Film Festival.

In 1967, Lucas grabbed a chance to watch Francis Ford Coppola direct Finian's Rainbow for Warner Brothers and the men became firm friends.

They went on to form the production company, American Zoetrope in 1969, who's first project was the full-length version of THX:1138.

In 1973, he wrote and directed American Graffiti, which won the Golden Globe and earned five Academy Award nominations.

Next he began writing the screenplay for Star Wars - a movie he was inspired to make by his love of swashbuckling classics and pulp sci-fi.

In 1975 he established his own special effects company, ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) which would create dazzling new illusions for the Star Wars sequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983).

His movie was turned down by several studios until 20th Century Fox gave him a chance.

Lucas agreed to forgo his directing salary in exchange for 40% of the film's box-office take and all the merchandising rights.

Star Wars went on to break all box office records and earned seven Academy Awards, redfining the term "blockbuster~" along the way.

In 1980, he executive produced Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark, which won five Academy Awards and introduced audiences to Indiana Jones.

Lucas was also co-creator of the story for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom which earned yet another two Academy Award nominations, and won an Oscar for its visual effects.

From 1980 to 1985 Lucas was busy with the construction of Skywalker Ranch near San Francisco for the creative and technical needs of the expanding Lucasfilm.

Lucas also revloutionized cinemas with the THX Sound System which was created to maintain the highest quality standards in sight and sound.

He alsos provided all the funding for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).

It was the prequels to the original, revamped Star Wars that coaxed Lucas back into the director's chair.

Star Wars: Episode II was released in 2002 while Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, completed the story cycle in 2005.