Star Wars Day on May 4, 1979, the day Margaret Thatcher took office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. An online news article from the Danish public broadcaster says her political party, the Conservatives, placed a congratulatory advertisement in "The London Evening News", saying "May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations." The saying was used in a UK Parliament defence debate on May 4, 1994. Astrophysicist and author Jeanne Cavelos used the saying on page 94 of her 1999 book "The Science of Star Wars". In 2008, the first Facebook groups appeared, celebrating "Luke Skywalker Day," with the same catchphrase. While
Star Wars (film) later wrote the first "Star Wars" expanded universe novel, "Splinter of the Mind's Eye" (1978). The book was first published as "Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker"; later editions were titled simply "Star Wars" (1995) and, later, "Star Wars: A New Hope" (1997), to reflect the retitling of the film. Marketing director Charles Lippincott secured the deal with Del Rey Books to publish the novelization in November 1976. By February 1977, a half-million copies had been sold. Marvel Comics also adapted the film as the first six issues of its licensed "Star Wars" comic book, with the first