Star Wars vs. Star Wars

By Melissa August, Harriet Barovick, Michelle Derrow, Tam Gray, Daniel Levy, Lina Lofaro, David Spitz, Flora Tartakovsky and Chris Taylor

The rises and falls of the Star Wars movie franchise and the national defense system known by the same name are eerily concurrent. Is it coincidence, or is it the Force?

1977-83 Star Wars trilogy premieres

1983 Reagan calls Soviet Union the "evil empire"; announces Star Wars initiative

1987 Spaceballs parodies the Force

1988 Reagan says Soviet Union is no longer the evil empire

1993 Jurassic Park strikes down Star Wars record for box-office gross

1993 New York Times reports Star Wars technology more science fiction than science

1999 Phantom Menace released

1999 Clinton urges Star Wars Lite missile-defense system; Congress approves

2003 Second prequel scheduled for release

2005 Proposed missile system scheduled for completion