If you grew up watching Star Wars and Indiana Jones as I did, you will absolutely recognize the above scream. It was originally recorded in 1951 for a Gary Cooper film called Distant Drums. The scream itself is credited to Sheb Wooley (of "Purple People Eater" fame), and it wound up as the scream of a man getting eaten by an alligator.

Though it was used in several films over the next few decades, its name and fame are thanks to Ben Burtt, who was hired to create sound effects for Star Wars in 1977. Burtt discovered the track and dubbed it the "Wilhelm Scream", after the character Private Wilhelm in the 1953 film The Charge at Feather River. (Wilhelm had let out the now famous scream after getting an arrow in the leg.)

Burtt gave the scream to a falling stormtrooper in Star Wars. It was used again in the next two Star Wars films, as well as all three Indiana Jones films. (Burtt even had a cameo in Return of the Jedi, in which he was knocked over a railing by Han Solo...and he did his best imitation of the Wilhelm Scream as he fell.)

The Wilhelm Scream has now been used over 100 times. Check out this site for a more detailed history...and a list of titles! ---> Hollywood Lost and Found