Born on December 8
Georges Méliès's Birthday
Cinema's first great magician.
Next: December 8, 2026
Where it comes from
Georges Méliès was born in Paris on 8 December 1861, and this Story marks his birthday. A gifted stage magician, he bought the Théâtre Robert-Houdin in 1888. In 1895 he saw one of the Lumière brothers' first Paris film shows; the story goes that when they would not sell him their invention, he bought a projector in…
How it's celebrated
There is no formal observance, but it is a perfect day to watch A Trip to the Moon, which runs about 13 minutes. In Paris, the Cinémathèque française shows his drawings, costumes and machines in its permanent Musée Méliès, opened in 2021.
Did you know
A Trip to the Moon used 260 metres of film in 30 scenes, and it was copied so widely in the United States that Méliès opened an office there to protect his rights.
Read the full story of Georges Méliès's Birthday
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