On May 25, 1977, a pop culture phenomenon was born. After months of hype, a movie called Star Wars hit theaters. But what was it really like seeing the film back in 1977? We’ve gathered accounts from filmmakers, journalists, and fans to take us back to a galaxy far, far away.

While it took a week or two for Star Wars fever to fully catch on nationwide, it was an overnight sensation in California. The film premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, where it became completely normal to see lines of fans camped outside the moviehouse.

[Looper]