On May 25, 1977, the franchise-launching "Star Wars" was released — but that bit of trivia might not surprise many people around these parts.
That's because of the ties between Star Wars' fandom and Utah: among them that a Utah theater ranked No. 1 in the nation for the movie premiere of "Rogue One" in December 2016.
Box office traffic doesn't begin to hint at Utahns' love for the franchise.
Utahns Liberty Dooley and James Davis tied the knot at the Megaplex at the Junction at the premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in December 2015; the state was also the leader in Star Wars-related search traffic as that film hit theaters.
There might even be spiritual reasons for the movie's popularity — and not just Star Wars' family friendly nature.
In "Star Wars," "the spiritual power of the Force can eliminate tyranny," writes Matthew Bowman in the Washington Post. "More than many religions in the United States, Mormons carry with them the recent memory of building a society very different from the one we live in, one in which right and wrong were clear. The themes of speculative fiction echo it."
From cosplaying fun to fantasy meet and greets, there's no question the force is strong in Utah.
View the gallery above to see how the release of "Star Wars" on this day in 1977 and the blockbuster's early years cemented its legacy.
Update: This article was updated on May 24, 2018, to add more "Star Wars" photos from the Deseret News archives and to update time elements.