Short answers, pulled from the story.
George Lucas began writing a 13-page script titled The Star Wars on the 17th of April 1973. This initial draft shared strong similarities with Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress from 1958.
The main cast includes Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing as notable exceptions to the inexperienced group, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, Billy Dee Williams, and Warwick Davis. Thousands of actors were assessed before these individuals were chosen.
Darth Vader's design was initially inspired by Samurai armor and incorporated a German military helmet. Stormtroopers borrow the name of World War I shock troopers, while Imperial officers wear uniforms resembling those of German forces during World War II.
Star Wars was released on the 25th of May 1977 and exceeded all expectations. The success of this release led Lucas to make Star Wars the basis of an elaborate film serial.
Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012 under president Kathleen Kennedy who stated she would not alter George Lucas's original trilogy. The company then produced a sequel trilogy consisting of The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019).