LucasFilm, the San Francisco movie company founded by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas and that Disney on Tuesday agreed to buy, has a long and storied history.

  • 1971: George Lucas founds company as he releases "THX 1138," his first feature film.

  • 1975: Special-effects studio Industrial Light & Magic and sound-effects company Sprocket Systems, which later becomes Skywalker Sound, founded.

  • 1977: "Star Wars," the first film in a blockbuster trilogy, released.

  • 1978: Lucas purchases 2,500-acre ranch in Marin that later becomes Skywalker Ranch, home of some of Lucasfilm's production studios.

  • 1979: Lucas hires Ed Catmull to head Lucasfilm's new computer division, which later creates the Pixar Image Computer.

  • 1982: New video game division, Lucasfilm Games, later renamed LucasArts, launched.

  • 1983: THX division, focusing on in-theater sound, founded.

  • 1984: Computer division, using new Pixar Image Computer, releases first short film, which featured contributions from John Lasseter.

  • 1985: Lucasfilm moves to Skywalker Ranch.

  • 1986: Lucas sells Pixar to Steve Jobs.

  • 1997: Original "Star Wars" trilogy re-released.

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