The Birth of R2-D2
How Douglas Trumbull's 1972 low-budget, bleeding heart science fiction classic yielded not just the basic look of, but the humanity of R2-D2 and robots everywhere.
As a prequel of sorts to the Death Star escape sequence, here's a comparison between the arrival of the B-17 to Hawaii on the morning of December 7th, 1941 after a long flight, and the arrival of the Millennium Falcon to the remnants of Alderaan after a similarly long flight. Both crews notified by an incessant beeping noise, followed by the incredible news of their destination's demise.
R2.
WWII was an enormous influence on all kids of the 50s and 60s, and Lucas was no exception. From the general good vs evil nature of the conflict to the specifics of war epics like The Guns of Navarone and air-heroics of The Dam Busters and 633 Squadron, it seems entirely possible that Star Wars would never have existed if not for the war.