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George Walton Lucas Jr. was born in Modesto, California, to George Walton Lucas Sr., a businessman who ran a stationery and business supply store, and Dorothy Ellinore Lucas. -
The Lucas family went to the opening of Disneyland. This was the start of George Jr.'s love for Disney. -
George attended Modesto Junior College. He started filming car races with an 8-millimeter camera and attending Canyon Cinema, which hosted underground, avant-garde 16-millimeter film screenings. -
Early on, he was interested in cars and racing and aspired to be a professional race car driver. George had a life-altering car accident just before high school graduation, which shifted his focus from racing to filmmaking. -
Lucas transferred to the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and joined a clique of film students known as The Dirty Dozen. He also became good friends with Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film in 1967.