Star Wars is 40: what do you remember about 1977? Here's our rundown from Dracula lollies to John Travolta

The first film in the hugely successful sci-fi series, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, was unveiled in the US 40 years ago on May 25, 1977.

Ironically, studio executives at 20th Century Fox thought it would be a flop, but the film went on to become the most successful movie of all time and was only knocked off the top spot when ET arrived 4 years later.

Audiences in the UK didn't get to see Star Wars immediately. Global film releases were virtually unheard of four decades ago, so the film didn't arrive until December 27 timed to cash-in on the Christmas holidays.

Four decades on Star Wars has spawned a franchise which is estimated to have made more than 7.5 billion dollars at the worldwide box office.

Disney marked the milestone at some of its stores with events including a Star Wars trivia game, defence training against stormtroopers and Millennium Falcon flight training.

The next film in the series, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, is due to be released in December.

But Star Wars wasn't the only thing we had to look forward to in 1977. Do you remember any of these?

Count Dracula ice lollies:  Forget Cornetto, which launched here in 1976, all the boys wanted a Dracula lolly - or Count Dracula's Deadly Secret to give the treat its full name. 

The lolly was black - the secret bit was the blood red jelly centre and the plastic stick which held a creepy stencil.

Even better anyone who consumed one of these ended up with dark stained teeth - the perfect finish if you were under 10 years old.

2000AD comic: Launched on February 26, 1977, to an unsuspecting teenage audience, 2000AD would go on to become the most successful sci-fi comic of all time - outliving its title and still selling to a loyal following in 2017.

Edited by the Mighty Tharg (a green alien) 2000AD is best known as the original home of future lawman Judge Dredd.

But Dredd didn't actually appear in the first edition - the headline act was the return of Dan Dare, a space hero from the pages of the Eagle. 

Dredd appeared in issue 2 (or prog 2 as 2000AD fans would call it) and has been a staple of the magazine ever since.

The Ford Fiesta: Although Europeans got their mitts on Ford's hot supermini in 1976 British motorists had to wait until January 1977 before the first right-hand drive examples were available here.

A reaction to the fuel crisis, the Fiesta was the right car at the right time and went on to become one of the best-selling superminis ever.

Morph: The little clay character known as Morph made his first appearance on Take Hart, a BBC childrens' TV show fronted by artist Tony Hart. Morph's popularity outshone his human co-star and he still entertains youngsters to this day.

A model of Morph can be seen at the Bradford National Science and Media Museum.

Roger Moore: 1977's biggest box office blockbuster in the Uk wasn't Star Wars it was The Spy Who Loved Me.

Roger Moore's third outing as James Bond is widely regarded as his best - even if it is a remake of You Only Live Twice.

Night Fever: If you were a young girl in 1977 you only had eyes for John Travolta.

Fresh out of the Stephen King horror pic Carrie (where he played the bad guy) Travolta was cast in Saturday Night Fever where he strutted his stuff to an iconic Bee Gees tune.

Ironically, the young girls who mooned over Travolta didn't get the chance to watch Saturday Night Fever on its first run: scenes of violence and drug-taking saw it rated X for adults only.

Sensing an opportunity, Paramount cut all the naughty bits and re-released a kid-friendly version.