Profile of the Day: George Lucas

Happy birthday to George Lucas! Today the filmmaker turns 76.

Image: George Lucas / Nicolas Genin, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Lucas was born on May 14, 1944 in Modesto, California to Dorothy Ellinore Bomberger and George Walton Lucas, Sr., a stationary store owner. In his youth, Lucas dreamed of becoming a race car driver. However, just days before his high school graduation, Lucas was involved in a near-fatal accident and quickly changed his mind. Although he would leave racing behind, Lucas later brought his passion for motor racing and filmmaking together in the coming of age film, American Graffiti.

Over the course of his career, Lucas has been responsible for bringing to life some of the most popular and iconic films in history. From Star Wars to Indian Jones, Lucas is one of the most successful filmmakers in Hollywood. In 2012, he sold his production company, Lucasfilm, to Disney for $4 billion.

Explore George Lucas’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re connected!