Mothra opens in Japan in 1961. Directed by kaiju master Ishiro Honda, Japan’s second most popular giant monster (next to Godzilla) debuts as a hatchling to defend her island with two fairies acting as her interpreters to the world. She has since appeared in at least 12 more films, as well as 16 video games and a few TV shows. The character also appears in the American film Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
This Day in Halloween: Kaiju master Ishiro Honda's "Mothra" -- the nation's second most popular giant monster -- opens in Japan in 1961. / Illustration by Olivia Graham
