The filmmaker who set the bar for enduring family favorites, as well as landmark Oscar-winning dramas, Steven Spielberg turns 75-years-old today.
Spielberg is one of the most successful and influential filmmakers of all time, with a string of blockbusters to his name. The films include 'Jaws', 'E.T. the Extra Terrestrial','Raiders of the Lost Ark' and 'Jurassic Park', along with 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' and 'Minority Report'.
He has won three Academy Awards for his work on 'Schindler's List' and 'Saving Private Ryan' and numerous other industry recognitions.
At a 2018 screening marking the 25th anniversary of 'Schindler's List', Spielberg said no work had affected him like the harrowing Holocaust drama, which collected a total of seven Oscars.
Spielberg's charitable works include donating $30 million to the Motion Picture and Television Fund to provide health care to older people who worked in the film and TV industries. He is also chairman emeritus of the Starlight Children's Foundation, which helps children with life-threatening conditions.
In February, he was also awarded Israel's prestigious 2021 Genesis Prize in recognition of his contribution to cinema, his philanthropic works and his efforts to preserve the memory of the Holocaust.
His accomplishments and charitable works have resulted in numerous recognitions, including: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, France's Legion d'Honneur, Germany's Federal Cross of Merit, an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II and Israel's presidential medal of distinction.
Spielberg's most recent film 'West Side Story' released earlier this month