diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 560625aa..eee6db6c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -17,4 +17,5 @@ DOCKER_ENV
 docker_tag
 
 # IDE
-.vscode/
\ No newline at end of file
+.vscode/
+.idea/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bcf3da9b..2728ecd4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ If the `theme` parameter is specified, any color customizations specified will b
 | `hide_total_contributions` | Hide the total contributions (Default: `false`)  |                                         `true` or `false`                                          |
 |   `hide_current_streak`    |    Hide the current streak (Default: `false`)    |                                         `true` or `false`                                          |
 |   `hide_longest_streak`    |    Hide the longest streak (Default: `false`)    |                                         `true` or `false`                                          |
+|      `starting_year`       |          Starting year of contributions          |   Integer, must be `2005` or later, eg. `2017`. By default, your account creation year is used.    |
 
 ### 🖌 Themes
 
diff --git a/src/index.php b/src/index.php
index 2de2c316..41cc4e0b 100644
--- a/src/index.php
+++ b/src/index.php
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@
 try {
     // get streak stats for user given in query string
     $user = preg_replace("/[^a-zA-Z0-9\-]/", "", $_REQUEST["user"]);
-    $contributionGraphs = getContributionGraphs($user);
+    $startingYear = isset($_REQUEST["starting_year"]) ? intval($_REQUEST["starting_year"]) : null;
+    $contributionGraphs = getContributionGraphs($user, $startingYear);
     $contributions = getContributionDates($contributionGraphs);
     if (isset($_GET["mode"]) && $_GET["mode"] === "weekly") {
         $stats = getWeeklyContributionStats($contributions);
diff --git a/src/stats.php b/src/stats.php
index ba77b4e8..6511758c 100644
--- a/src/stats.php
+++ b/src/stats.php
@@ -116,9 +116,10 @@ function executeContributionGraphRequests(string $user, array $years): array
  * Get all HTTP request responses for user's contributions
  *
  * @param string $user GitHub username to get graphs for
+ * @param int|null $startingYear Override the minimum year to get graphs for
  * @return array<stdClass> List of contribution graph response objects
  */
-function getContributionGraphs(string $user): array
+function getContributionGraphs(string $user, ?int $startingYear = null): array
 {
     // get the list of years the user has contributed and the current year's contribution graph
     $currentYear = intval(date("Y"));
@@ -131,8 +132,13 @@ function getContributionGraphs(string $user): array
     }
     // extract the year from the created datetime string
     $userCreatedYear = intval(explode("-", $userCreatedDateTimeString)[0]);
+    // if override parameter is null then define starting year
+    // as the user created year; else use the provided override year
+    $minimumYear = $startingYear ?: $userCreatedYear;
+    // make sure the minimum year is not before 2005 (the year Git was created)
+    $minimumYear = max($minimumYear, 2005);
     // create an array of years from the user's created year to one year before the current year
-    $yearsToRequest = range($userCreatedYear, $currentYear - 1);
+    $yearsToRequest = range($minimumYear, $currentYear - 1);
     // also check the first contribution year if the year is before 2005 (the year Git was created)
     // since the user may have backdated some commits to a specific year such as 1970 (see #448)
     $contributionYears = $responses[$currentYear]->data->user->contributionsCollection->contributionYears ?? [];