An artist has created a homage to cultural and historical figures – by immortalising them as Star Wars characters. Mike Leavitt wanted to “document the pulse of our times” through his sculpture by splicing non-fiction characters with famous faces. He chose the sci-fi trilogy as a basis for what he calls his “pop culture satirical mash-ups”, with many of the pieces hand-carved from wood. The hilarious results include Albert Einstein as R2D2, Michael Jackson as an Ewok and Angelina Jolie in Princess Leia's famous slave girl outfit. Photo: Gandhi as Yoda. (Photo by Mike Leavitt/Rex USA)

A jockey rides a water buffalo during the annual Chonburi Buffalo Race in Chonburi on October 1, 2020. (Photo by Mladen Antonov/AFP Photo)

Wednesday March 8 marks International Women's Day, with festivals, concerts and exhibitions among the numerous events planned around the world to celebrate the achievements of women in society. The annual event has been held since the early 1900s and traditionally promotes a different theme each year, with this year's edition calling on people to #BeBoldForChange and push for a more gender-inclusive working world. Reuters photographers have been speaking with women in a range of professions around the world about their experiences of gender inequality. Here: Yolaina Chavez Talavera, 31, a firefighter, poses for a photograph in front of a truck at a fire station in Managua, Nicaragua, February 22, 2017. (Photo by Oswaldo Rivas/Reuters)

A police officer fires his tear gas launcher during a clash with student protesters in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Thursday, October 8, 2020. Thousands of enraged students and workers staged rallies across Indonesia on Thursday in opposition to the new law they say will cripple labor rights and harm the environment. (Photo by Trisnadi/AP Photo)

A man reacts to being warned by a British Transport Police officer for not wearing a face mask at King's Cross underground station, London, England on October 8, 2020. (Photo by Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images)

Shanea Tonkin of Team Australia celebrates with team mates after scoring their sides first goal during Women - Pool B match between Australia and Scotland on day six of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at University of Birmingham Hockey & Squash Centre on August 03, 2022 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Stoyan Nenov/Reuters)

A Malaysian Royal Guard wears a protective mask while he stands guard outside National Palace, following the outbreak of a new coronavirus in China, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, February 10, 2020. (Photo by Lim Huey Teng/Reuters)