The biggest box-office movie that came out the year you were born
Jason Guerrasio,Jacob Shamsian,Tanza Loudenback  Â
- The most popular movie from every year can tell you a lot about what people used to be obsessed with.
- Lately, "Star Wars" and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has dominated the cultural conversation, but over the centuries everything from screwball comedies to dramas have had their moment.
- Here we have put together the highest-grossing movie from each year since 1930.
Looking at the most popular movie from each year can tell you a lot about what people were obsessed about at the time. And also, how people's tastes in genres have changed.
The best way to pinpoint the most popular movie is by looking at box office figures. In the past few years, Disney has been dominant worldwide with its "Star Wars" and Marvel Cinematic Universe franchises. But that wasn't always the case. Over the centuries everything from screwball comedies, gritty dramas, and family movies have all been at the top of the mountain.
What era were you born in?
Here we've put together an exhaustive list of the highest-grossing movie at the worldwide box office from each year since 1930.
Read below to find out the most popular movie released the year you were born:
Note: Box office figures are from Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. Worldwide figures are used where available. A few years in the 1930s are missing because of a lack of data. This story has been updated since its original version.
1930: "Tom Sawyer"
Box-office gross: $11 million
What it's about: An adaptation of the classic Mark Twain novel, Tom (Jackie Coogan) and his friends Huckleberry Finn (Junior Durkin) and Joe Harper (Dick Winslow) have numerous adventures, become pirates, attend their own funerals, and escape from a vengeful murderer.
1931: "Frankenstein"
Box-office gross: $12 million
What it's about: Universal's original "Frankenstein" adaptation put a permanent mark on how we see the character in pop culture. After Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) makes the dead walk again, and his monster (Boris Karloff) needs to learn how to live.
1933: "King Kong"
Box-office gross: $10 million
What it's about: One of the first mass spectacles of cinema, this has since been remade plenty of times. But the original one possesses a rare emotional power — of a romance between an actress (Fay Wray) and a prehistoric ape — that's hard to top.
1934: "It Happened One Night"
Box-office gross: $2.5 million
What it's about: Before pesky production codes changed what movies were allowed to show onscreen, Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable made a romantic comedy for the ages, about a socialite who runs off on an escapade with a reporter.
1935: "Top Hat"
Box-office gross: $3.2 million
What it's about: One of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' most essential movies, "Top Hat" is a classic Hollywood musical about a dancer falling in love with an actress. It has one of Astaire's most beloved songs, "Cheek to Cheek."
1937: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
Box-office gross: $185 million
What it's about: Walt Disney's first major animated feature is a landmark that set his template of adapting dark fairy tales for audiences of all ages. Snow White's jealous stepmother despises her, so she flees to escape her wrath. Hiding in the forest, she befriends seven dwarfs — Doc, Sneezy, Grumpy, Happy, Bashful, Sleepy and Dopey. But only a prince can save her from the poisoned apple her mother secretly gives her.
1938: "Alexander's Ragtime Band"
Box-office gross: $4 million
What it's about: A classical musician (Tyrone Power), doubted by his family, struggles with love and unexpected success while World War I upends his plans.
1939: "Gone with the Wind"
Box-office gross: $390.5 million
What it's about: Scarlett O' Hara (Vivien Leigh) and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) engage in a tumultuous romance against the backdrop of the American Civil War. The sweeping historical romance was widely praised in its time, being nominated for 13 Oscars and winning ten.
1940: "Pinocchio"
Box-office gross: $84.3 million
What it's about: Yet another example of Disney's dominance with animated films, his story of a living puppet trying to become a "real boy" tugs at the heartstrings while keeping its sense of fun.
1941: "Sergeant York"
Box-office gross: $16.4 million
What it's about: "Sargeant York" may have been about World War I as it follows a sharpshooter who becomes an unexpected hero after attacking and capturing a German position using the same strategy as turkey hunting, but the pro-American movie became a point of major discussion in the United States over the merits of entering World War II.
1942: "Bambi"
Box-office gross: $268 million
What it's about: Another Disney hit, "Bambi" uses an all-animal cast of characters in a story about a white-tailed deer, his animals friends, and a haunting death in the family.
1943: "This Is the Army"
Box-office gross: $19.5 million
What it's about: A World War I dancer (George Murphy) goes on to showbusiness success while refusing to commit to marrying his fiancée.
1944: "Going My Way"
Box-office gross: $16.3 million
What it's about: A message-heavy morality tale starring Bing Crosby, "Going My Way" is about a popular youthful pastor giving a group of young kids direction in life while winning over the more conventional pastor who lead the parish before him. The movie won seven Oscars, including best picture, and a print was presented to Pope Pius XII at the Vatican.
1945: "The Bells of St. Mary's"
Box-office gross: $21.3 million
What it's about: "Going My Way" was so popular that it got a sequel. In this film, the Bing Crosby pastor and a nun, played by Ingrid Bergman, attempt to save a run-down parochial school on the verge of being closed down.
1946: "Song of the South"
Box-office gross: $65 million
What it's about: A mixture of live action and animation, "Song of the South" encompasses several stories about living on a plantation during the Reconstruction Era. It's the source of "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," which won an Oscar for best song. The movie is considered by many to be extraordinarily racist — it was protested upon its theatrical release — and Disney has never released it on a home video or streaming format.
1947: "Forever Amber"
Box-office gross: $16 million
What it's about: Amber St. Clair (Linda Darnell) tries and succeeds to climb the social ladder despite her humble background. But in the process, she leaves true love behind.
1948: "The Snake Pit"
Box-office gross: $10 million
What it's about: A woman (played by Olivia de Havilland) finds herself in a mental ward and has no idea why she's there.
1949: "Samson and Delilah"
Box-office gross: $29 million
What it's about: One of Cecil B. DeMille's many grand Biblical epics, the movie adapts the story of a man whose power is tied to his uncut hair, and the woman who learns his secret and betrays him.
1950: "Cinderella"
Box-office gross: $263.5 million
What it's about: Cinderella's cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the royal ball, but she goes anyway with the help of her fairy godmother and becomes a princess by the end of the movie.
1951: "Quo Vadis"
Box-office gross: $30 million
What it's about: A Roman commander (Robert Taylor) begins questioning his emperor's leadership after falling in love with a Christian captive (Deborah Kerr).
1952: "The Greatest Show on Earth"
Box-office gross: $36 million
What it's about: Perhaps his greatest commitment to spectacle, DeMille takes a dazzling behind-the-scenes look at the Ringling Bros.-Barnum and Bailey Circus.
1953: "Peter Pan"
Box-office gross: $87.4 million
What it's about: Wendy and her brothers are whisked away to the magical Neverland, where Peter Pan steers them through fantastical dangerous situations.
1954: "White Christmas"
Box-office gross: $30 million
What it's about: A feel-good Bing Crosby musical about a song-and-dance team dealing with romantic drama while trying to save a failing hotel.
1955: "Lady and the Tramp"
Box-office gross: $36.3 million
What it's about: A low-class mutt strikes up a romance with a posh, sheltered cocker spaniel.
1956: "The Ten Commandments"
Box-office gross: $85.4 million
What it's about: Moses (Charlton Heston) learns he's not really Egyptian and frees the Hebrew people from slavery.
1957: "The Bridge on the River Kwai"
Box-office gross: $33.3 million
What it's about: British soldiers captured by the Japanese during World War II are forced to build a bridge in Burma while other soldiers look for them. The movie would go on to win seven Academy Awards.
1958: "South Pacific"
Box-office gross: $36.8 million
What it's about: Based on the acclaimed play, "South Pacific" is about a nurse who falls in love with an older French plantation owner with mixed-race children she has trouble accepting.
1959: "Ben-Hur"
Box-office gross: $74 million
What it's about: Set adjacent to the story of Jesus, a Jewish prince named Judah (Charlton Heston) is sent to slavery by a Roman friend, regains his freedom, and plots revenge. The movie won 11 Oscars, which stood as a record until 1997's "Titanic."
1960: "Spartacus"
Box-office gross: $60 million
What it's about: Stanley Kubrick proved he could make a Hollywood epic as he tells the story of a slave (Kirk Douglas) who leads a revolt against the Roman Republic.
1961: "One Hundred and One Dalmatians"
Box-office gross: $85 million
What it's about: Cruella de Vil abducts a litter of puppies to use their fur for a tacky fashion statement. The rest of the family has to find them before it's too late.
1962: "Lawrence of Arabia"
Box-office gross: $70 million
What it's about: Peter O'Toole plays T.E. Lawrence, an English officer who united the Arab tribes to fight the Turks during World War I.
1963: "From Russia with Love"
Box-office gross: $79 million
What it's about: The second movie in the James Bond franchise would be just an appetizer for how successful this series of movies would be in the years to come.
1964: "Goldfinger"
Box-office gross: $125 million
What it's about: Sean Connery returns as James Bond and becomes an international star as he takes on the evil Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe).
1965: "The Sound of Music"
Box-office gross: $286.2 million
What it's about: A governess (Julie Andrews) of a large Austrian family struggles whether to become a nun, falls in love with the family's widowed father, and flees the Nazis.
1966: "The Bible: In The Beginning..."
Box-office gross: $34.9 million
What it's about: A production of the first book of Genesis, from the story of Adam and Eve to the binding of Isaac.
1967: "The Jungle Book"
Box-office gross: $137.7 million
What it's about: Bagheera the Panther and Baloo the Bear try to convince a human boy that the jungle isn't for him and he's better off with other humans.
1968: "Funny Girl"
Box-office gross: $58.7 million
What it's about: A comedienne and entertainer (Barbara Streisand) rises through fame and falls in love with a man (Omar Sharif) too proud to accept her help when he needs it.
1969: "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"
Box-office gross: $102.3 million
What it's about: A western about two outlaws (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) on the run after they commit a string of robberies.
1970: "Love Story"
Box-office gross: $136.3 million
What it's about: A young man (Ryan O'Neal) and woman (Ali MacGraw) fall in love and go through tragedy together.
1971: "Diamonds Are Forever"
Box-office gross: $116 million
What it's about: Sean Connery shows he's still got it as he returns to the Bond role after sitting out the previous release, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."
1972: "The Godfather"
Box-office gross: $268.5 million
What it's about: The epic saga of the Corleone crime family, where an aging patriarch (Marlon Brando) arranges to hand off the family empire to his reluctant son (Al Pacino) who wants to live a normal life.
1973: "The Exorcist"
Box-office gross: $428.2 million
What it's about: A mother (Ellen Burstyn) attempts to get back her teenaged daughter (Linda Blair) back from a demonic possession by recruiting two priests (Jason Miller and Max von Sydow).
1974: "The Towering Inferno"
Box-office gross: $139.7 million
What it's about: This disaster movie about a massive office building that goes into flames includes an A-list cast: Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, William Holden, and Fred Astaire.
1975: "Jaws"
Box-office gross: $471 million
What it's about: When a great white shark terrorizes a suburban beach, a group of locals band together to capture it. "Jaws" is a Hitchcockian thriller that introduced much of the world to Steven Spielberg, who went on to dominate popular movies for decades afterward.
1976: "Rocky"
Box-office gross: $225 million
What it's about: Underdog boxer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) gets the rare chance to fight heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). He needs to win to prove himself to the world, and himself. The underdog movie would go on and win the best picture Oscar.
1977: "Star Wars: A New Hope"
Box-office gross: $775 million
What it's about: In a galaxy far, far away, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) gets tangled up with a Jedi knight (Alec Guinness), pilot Han Solo (Harrison Ford), a giant bear thing called a wookiee, and two droids — all in order to save the galaxy and rescue Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) from the clutches of Darth Vader. The first "Star Wars" movie established one of the most popular franchises of all time and took science fiction movies mainstream.
1978: "Grease"
Box-office gross: $388 million
What it's about: A musical about a couple of teens (John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John) falling in love over summer break and then learning they go to the same high school. Drama and dancing ensues.
1979: "Moonraker"
Box-office gross: $210 million
What it's about: One of the most ambitious James Bond films — with Roger Moore — "Moonraker" has Bond investigating the theft of a space shuttle, leading him out to space where he stops a global genocide.
1980: "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back"
Box-office gross: $548 million
What it's about: For many fans "Empire" surpassed the first "Star Wars" movie thanks to its unforgettable twist at the end and meditative scenes of Luke training with Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz).
1981: "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
Adjusted gross: $1.03 billion
Unadjusted gross: $390 million
What it's about: Archaeologist and professional swashbuckler Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is hired by the United States government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do.
1982: "E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial"
Box-office gross: $663.4 million
What it's about: An alien stumbles itself into the life of a troubled child (Henry Thomas) who needs to help it find its way back home.
1983: "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi"
Box-office gross: $475 million
What it's about: The final entry in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, "Return of the Jedi" follows the rebels taking their last stand against the Empire while Luke tries to persuade Darth Vader to leave the dark side.
1984: "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"
1985: "Back to the Future"
Box-office gross: $381 million
What it's about: Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is sent 30 years into the past in a really nice car invented by his friend, a kooky local scientist (Christopher Lloyd). He needs to make sure his high-school-aged parents stick together so the present still happens.
1986: "Top Gun"
Adjusted gross: $779 million
Unadjusted gross: $353.8 million
What it's about: A young United States Navy student (Tom Cruise) competes with his fellow students over being the best fighter pilot and learns a few life lessons along the way.
1987: "Fatal Attraction"
Box-office gross: $320 million
What it's about: A married man (Michael Douglas) has a one night stand and tries to move on, only for his lover (Glenn Close) to stalk him and his family.
1988: "Rain Man"
1989: "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"
Box-office gross: $474 million
What it's about: Indiana Jones has a dad (Sean Connery). He's also a swashbuckling archaeologist, and goes missing on the hunt for the Holy Grail. Indiana Jones tries to track him down and save him, stopping a Nazi plot in the process.
1990: "Ghost"
Box-office gross: $506 million
What it's about: A fantasy thriller about a dead young man (Patrick Swayze) who tries to save his girlfriend (Demi Moore) through a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg).
1991: "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"
Box-office gross: $520 million
What it's about: The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time to protect Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her son (Edward Furlong) from a newer, badder Terminator.
1992: "Aladdin"
Box-office gross: $504 million
What it's about: A street urchin (Scott Weinger) uses the help of a witty genie (Robin Williams) to get a princess (Linda Larkin) to fall in love with him and stop a planed coup in the kingdom.
1993: "Jurassic Park"
Box-office gross: $912.6 million
What it's about: A group of kids and scientists tour a secret theme park with live dinosaurs, only for everything to go awry.
1994: "The Lion King"
Box-office gross: $763 million
What it's about: An adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" with animals and set in the Pride Lands of Africa.
1995: "Die Hard: With A Vengeance"
Box-office gross: $366 million
What it's about: John McClane (Bruce Willis) foils a German terrorist (Jeremy Irons) who tries to rob the Federal Reserve Building in Manhattan.
1996: "Independence Day"
Box-office gross: $817 million
What it's about: Aliens are invading Earth, and the only hope is fighter pilot captain Steven Hille (Will Smith).
1997: "Titanic"
Box-office gross: $1.8 billion
What it's about: James Cameron's romance epic follows a poor artist (Leonardo DiCaprio) who falls in love with an aristocrat (Kate Winslet) destined for another suitor on the doomed Titanic ship.
1998: "Armageddon"
Box-office gross: $554 million
What it's about: After discovering that an enormous asteroid is close to pummeling the Earth, NASA recruits a bunch of drillers to make a big hole in it and save the planet.
1999: "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace"
Box-office gross: $924 million
What it's about: The return of "Star Wars" was a prequel trilogy directed by mastermind George Lucas. The first one, "The Phantom Menace," was about two Jedi Knights (Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor) who meet a young boy (Jake Lloyd) who holds great promise with the Force.
2000: "Mission: Impossible II"
Box-office gross: $546 million
What it's about: Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) pulls together a misfit but professional team to find and destroy a genetically modified disease that could wipe out humanity.
2001: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
Adjusted gross: $1.32 billion
Unadjusted gross: $975 million
What it's about: With "Sorcerer's Stone," the "Harry Potter" series kicked itself off and became one of the most popular movie franchises in history, all because of J.K. Rowling's insanely popular books. The first movie finds Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) discovering he's a wizard and leaving his abusive aunt and uncle to go to the magical school of Hogwarts, where he makes friends and fights off evil.
2002: "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"
Box-office gross: $936 million
What it's about: The middle "Lord of the Rings" entry sees Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) get closer to Mordor and face off against the dark wizard Saruman.
2003: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Box-office gross: $1.1 billion
What it's about: In the capstone "Lord of the Rings" film, Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) lead a battle against Sauron's army while Frodo and Sam attempt to destroy the One Ring.
2004: "Shrek 2"
Box-office gross: $928 million
What it's about: Shrek (Mike Myers) and Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) go to her parents' house for dinner, where they're shocked to learn that they're both ogres.
2005: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
Box-office gross: $895 million
What it's about: Even though he's ineligible, Harry is entered into the dangerous Triwizard Tournament, where he faces off against the representatives of other magical schools in a competition.
2006: "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"
Box-office gross: $1 billion
What it's about: Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his troupe try to capture the heart of Davy Jones for its magical properties — but all of them have their own agendas.
2007: "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"
Box-office gross: $963 million
What it's about: This "Pirates" movie is another visual spectacle that has the characters sail off the edge of the map and find what lies beyond.
2008: "The Dark Knight"
Box-office gross: $1 billion
What it's about: Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" gave newfound respect to the superhero genre, making it a dark and gritty morality drama instead of mere escapism. Batman (Christian Bale) faces off against the Joker (Heath Ledger) and all his psychological traps.
2009: "Avatar"
Box-office gross: $2.7 billion
What it's about: At one time highest-grossing movie of all time (the current record-holder is "Avengers: Endgame"), "Avatar" is a science-fiction epic where a paraplegic marine (Sam Worthington) inhabits another body to live on the moon of another planet and ingratiate himself into another population. But once he does so, he gets suspicious about the orders he's been given.
2010: "Toy Story 3"
Box-office gross: $1 billion
What it's about: Pixar returned to Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the rest of the toys to see what they're up to when Andy (John Morris) leaves for college. It's one of Pixar's most moving movies, where every beloved character gets their due.
2011: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
Box-office gross: $1.3 billion
What it's about: The "Harry Potter" series ended with a bang, with Harry (Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) finding the remaining horcruxes and facing off against Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) at the Battle of Hogwarts.
2012: "The Avengers"
Box-office gross: $1.5 billion
What it's about: Finally, the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe came together in "The Avengers," with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) fighting off Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his alien army.
2013: "Frozen"
Box-office gross: $1.2 billion
What it's about: The newly crowned Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) accidentally curses her home and gives it a permanent winter, so her sister Anna (Kristen Bell) teams up with a traveler, a reindeer, and a snowman on a quest to fix it.
2014: "Transformers: Age of Extinction"
Box-office gross: $1.1 billion
What it's about: Optimus Prime befriends an "inventor," played by Mark Wahlberg, who helps him and the other Autobots fight off alien robots.
2015: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
Box-office gross: $2 billion
What it's about: Three decades after the Empire was defeated, The Resistance forms to fight a new threat: the First Order.
2016: "Captain America: Civil War"
Box-office gross: $1.1 billion
What it's about: The Avengers have an argument over their role in politics: should they remain independent, or accept an overseer to keep them accountable? The dispute leads to a schism within the group, with Captain America leading one side and Iron Man the other.
2017: "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Box-office gross: $1.3 billion
What it's about: Following the events of "The Force Awakens," Rey (Daisy Ridley) looks for Luke Skywalker to help the Resistance fight the First Order, but Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) has his own plans.
2018: "Avengers: Infinity War"
Box-office gross: $2 billion
What it's about: The kickoff to the two-part finale of the Infinity Stones saga of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Infinity War" brought together an enormous team of superheroes in a fight against the villain Thanos (Josh Brolin).
2019: "Avengers: Endgame"
Box-office gross: $2.79 billion
What it's about: The highest worldwide grossing movie of all time, the dramatic conclusion to the Infinity Stones saga sees The Avengers fully assembled to finally destroy Thanos.
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