Key dates in Star Wars: July

July

1 July

David Prowse is born 1935
Today in 1935 David Prowse MBE was born in Bristol, UK. His large frame (6ft 6in) initially led to him becoming a successful weightlifter, representing England at 1962 Commonwealth Games before being seduced by George Lucas to become Darth Vader.

2 July

William Shakespeare's Star Wars (Verily, A New Hope) is published (2013)
William Shakespeare's Star Wars (Verily, A New Hope) by Ian Doescher was published today in 2013. The book is a satirical retelling of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope written in the style of a William Shakespeare-esk, Elizabethan-era play.

3 July

Star Wars: The Rebel Files is published (2018)
Today in 2018 Star Wars: The Rebel Files, written by Daniel Wallace, was published. The book is an in-universe reference book similar in nature to The Jedi Path, featuring a wealth of annotated notes regarding the history of the Rebel Alliance.

4 July

American Independence Day (1776)
Happy 4th July to all our friends and followers in the US. We hope you have a great holiday!

5 July

William Hootkins is born (1948)
In 1948 William Hootkins was born this day in Dallas, Texas. Star Wars fans know William as Red Six from the Battle of Yavin, or rather 'Porkins', where his X-Wing was destroyed by turbolaser fire from the Death Star.

6 July

Bradford Young is born (1977)
Today in 1977 Bradford Young was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Bradford is an Academy Award–nominated American cinematographer. He was the Director of Photography for Solo.

7 July

Dark Disciple is published (2015)
In 2015 Dark Disciple by Christie Golden was published today. The book features Clone Wars favourite Asajj Ventress who is teamed up with Quinlan Vos on a mission by the Jedi Order to hunt down Count Dooku.

8 July

Marvel Comics Star Wars: Lando Issue No. 1 is published (2015)
Issue No 1 of Star Wars: Lando was published today in 2015. The excellent comic miniseries starring Lando Calrissian, written by Charles Soule with artwork by Alex Malee, takes place prior to Lando becoming Baron Administrator of Cloud City.

9 July

Jimmy Smits is born (1955)
Jimmy Smits was born today in 1955 in Brooklyn, New York. Jimmy played Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan in Star Wars Episodes 2 and 3 in the early 2000s, returning to the role in the 2016 movie Rogue One.

10 July

Peter Serafinowicz is born (1972)
In 1972 in Liverpool (UK), Peter Serafinowicz was born today. Peter is an accomplished actor, comedian and voice actor. In The Phantom Menace Peter provided the voice of Darth Maul (as well as a gungan scout and battle droid commander!)

11 July

Mark Anthony Austin is born (1966)
Mark Austin was born today in 1966, in the UK. Mark played Boba Fett in A New Hope Special Edition - you see him in Docking Bay 94 when Jabba the Hutt pays Han a visit. Multi-talented Mark also animated the creature effects in the movie.

12 July

Ben Burtt is born (1948)
On this day in 1948 Ben Burtt was born in Jamesville, New York. An accomplished sound designer/engineer for Lucasfilm and Skywalker Sound movies, Ben created the sound of the lightsaber, Darth Vader's breathing and R2-D2's speech.

13 July

Harrison Ford is born (1942)
On this date in 1942, in Chicago, our favourite nerf-herding scoundrel, Harrison Ford, was born. Able to spot an opportunity from 12 parsecs, Harrison has managed to star in 5 of the 30 top-grossing US movies of all time.

Other events on this day...
Jack Purvis is born (1937)

14 July

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is born (1985)
Today in 1985 Phoebe Waller-Bridge was born in West London. She is best known for creating, writing, and starring in the comedy-drama series Crashing and Fleabag, winning a BAFTA for the latter, but she also starred as L3-37 in Solo.

15 July

Forest Whitaker is born (1961)
Forest Whitaker was born today in 1961 in Longview, Texas. This incredibly talented and charismatic actor, known for putting in an intensive performance, played Saw Gerrera on screen in Rogue One as well as in the Rebels cartoon show.

Other events on this day...
Knights of the Old Republic computer game is released (2003)

16 July

Filming of A New Hope finishes (1976)
In 1976 The movie that started them all - the original 'Star Wars' movie, that became Episode 4, A New Hope - finished filming today. The name was changed in 1981 to fit in better with the names of the other movies.

Other events on this day...
UK release of The Phantom Menace (1999)

17 July

Tim Rose is born (1956)
Timothy Rose was born today in 1956 in Pittsfield, Illinois. Tim's most famous role is Admiral Ackbar, however he was also the pupeteer for Sy Snootles and Salacious Crumb in Return of the Jedi.

Other events on this day...
Billie Catherine Lourd is born (1992)

18 July

Ryan Church is born (1971)
Ryan Church was born today in Long Beach, California in 1971. He is a concept designer best known for his designs of vehicles, planets, and architectures as a concept design supervisor on Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.

19 July

Beau Gadsdon is born (2008)
Today in 2008, the actress Beau Gadsdon was born. The English actress portrayed the young Jyn Erso on the planet Lah’mu at the beginning of Rogue One. She also played the role of young Princess Margaret in the historical drama series The Crown.

20 July

Harrison Ellenshaw is born (1945)
Today in 1945 Harrison Ellenshaw was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was a matte artist on A New Hope and a matte painting supervisor on The Empire Strikes Back. As well as Lucasfilm, he also worked on Disney movies including The Black Hole.

21 July

Vanessa Lengies is born (1985)
In 1985, in Montreal, Canada, the actress Vanessa Lengies was born today. A star of both Glee and American Dreams, Vanessa also played Kordi in LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures as well as providing voices in Rogue One.

22 July

Terence Stamp is born (1938)
Terence Stamp was born today in 1938 in Stepney, London. He has appeared in over 60 movies including being General Zod in Superman and Superman II. In 1999 he featured as Supreme Chancellor Valorum in the Phantom Menace.

James Arnold Taylor is born (1969)
James Arnold Taylor was born today in 1969 in Santa Barbara, California. James is a voice actor who portrayed Ratchet in Ratchet & Clank, Tidus in Final Fantasy X and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Clone Wars, The Clone Wars, Rebels and the video games.

23 July

Woody Harrelson is born (1961)
Today in 1961, in Midland, Texas, Woody Harrelson was born. From a fairly innocuous role in 1985 playing Woody in Cheers, he is now a Hollywood A list actor. In the 2018 film Solo, Woody played criminal Tobias Beckett, who became mentor to Han.

Orli Shoshan is born (1974)
Orli Shoshan was born today in 1974 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. In the Prequel Trilogy the skilled hand-to-hand combat and melee weapons artist portrayed the Togruta Jedi Master, Shaak Ti.

24 July

Rose Byrne is born (1979)
In 1979 the actress Rose Byrne was born today in Balmain, Sydney, Australia. In 2002, her first Hollywood role was as Senator Padmé Amidala's handmaiden, Dormé, in Attack of the Clones.

Other events on this day...
Thrawn: Alliances is published (2018)

25 July

Anthony Forrest is born (1951)
Today in 1951, in Birmingham, UK, Anthony Forrest was born. He played two roles in A New Hope: Fixer, Luke's friend from Tosche Station which was cut, and the mind-tricked sandtrooper who decides "these aren't the droid we are looking for".

Other events on this day...
Battlefront II: Inferno Squad is published (2017)

26 July

Spencer Wilding is born (1972)
Spencer Wilding was born today in 1972 in the Welsh town of Saint Asaph. Spencer is one of the two actors to play Darth Vader in Rogue One. He has also appeared in Harry Potter, Doctor Who and GotG, amongst many other films/shows.

Other events on this day...
Celebration Europe II starts (2013)

27 July

Donnie Yen is born (1963)
Donnie Yen was born today in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, China in 1963. Donnie is the actor, martial artist, movie director, producer, action choreographer and stuntman who acted as Chirrut Îmwe in Rogue One.

28 July

Alfie Curtis is born (1930)
Today in 1930 Alfie Curtis was born in Stepney, London. He played the role of Dr. Cornelius Evazan, a criminal with a heavily scarred face who violently confronts Luke Skywalker in the Mos Eisley Cantina scene of A New Hope.

Other events on this day...
Celebration Europe II ends (2013)

29 July

Jedi Academy: Return of the Padawan is published (2014)
In 2014 the sequel to Jedi Academy was released. Author / illustrator Jefferey Brown returns to Roan Novachez's school in a galaxy far, far away with the release of Jedi Academy: Return of the Padawan.

30 July

Carel Struycken is born (1948)
Carel Struycken was born today, in The Hague, Netherlands, in 1948. He played King Terak in Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, as well as roles including Mr. Homn in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Lurch in the Addams Family movies.

31 July

The Empire Strikes Back is released in Argentina (1980)
On this day in 1980 The Empire Strikes Back was released in Argentina. Mark Hamill had to bang his head sixteen times on the ceiling of Yoda's hut before director Irvin Kershner was satisfied.