George Walton Lucas Jr., born May 14, 1944, is an American filmmaker, producer, and philanthropist best known for creating the **Star Wars** franchise and co-creating the **Indiana Jones** series.[1][3][8] He founded Lucasfilm in 1971, revolutionizing special effects through Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and sound design via Skywalker Sound and THX standards.[1][4][5] Lucas gained prominence with his directorial debut *THX 1138* (1971), followed by the coming-of-age hit *American Graffiti* (1973), which earned five Academy Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture, and won a Golden Globe.[1][2][4] His breakthrough came with *Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope* (1977), which he wrote and directed, shattering box office records, winning six Oscars, and spawning a cultural phenomenon with sequels *The Empire Strikes Back* (1980) and *Return of the Jedi* (1983), both of which he produced and co-wrote.[1][2][3] He later directed the prequel trilogy: *The Phantom Menace* (1999), *Attack of the Clones* (2002), and *Revenge of the Sith* (2005).[3][4] Collaborating with Steven Spielberg, Lucas conceived and executive-produced the *Indiana Jones* films, starting with *Raiders of the Lost Ark* (1981), which won five Oscars, through *Kingdom of the Crystal Skull* (2008) and *Dial of Destiny* (2023).[1][2][3] Other credits include executive producing *Willow* (1988), *Red Tails* (2012), and animated series like *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* (2008–20).[3][4] Among **key achievements**, Lucas received four Oscar nominations, the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award (1991), three Hugo Awards, a BAFTA Excellence in Film Award (2002), and an AFI Life Achievement Award (2005).[1][5][6][7] In 2012, he sold Lucasfilm to Disney for $4.05 billion, enabling new *Star Wars* expansions while retaining influence as a consultant and philanthropist via the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.[1][3] Today, Lucas remains culturally relevant through his franchises' enduring legacy in film, theme parks like Star Tours, and ongoing philanthropy.[2][4]