The article reports on the 60th anniversary of the television show "Star Trek", which premiered on September 8, 1966, starring William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Spock. The original series and its spinoffs have gained a devoted fan base over the decades, with worldwide celebrations taking place to commemorate this milestone. According to Shatner, Gene Roddenberry's inspiration for "Star Trek" came from a TV show about a wagon train going West, but set in space instead. The article also mentions various events and records being attempted to celebrate the anniversary, including one at the Science Museum in London where fans hope to set a Guinness World Record for the most people performing the Vulcan Salute.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
60 years later, 'Star Trek' continues to 'live long and prosper'
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Trek → continue → ?
60 years ago, NBC aired the first episode of Star Trek, a television show that became a pop culture phenomenon.
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that → air → Trek
The original series starred William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, who led his diverse crew of humans and at least one alien, on adventures in space.
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who → star → space
These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise," Kirk says, narrating in the title sequence of each episode.
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Kirk → say → episode
To boldly go where no one has gone before.
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one → go → ?
Over the decades, the original series and its spinoffs earned generations of devoted fans.
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series → earn → fans
They're commemorating Star Trek's 60th anniversary with worldwide celebrations, from the Hollywood Walk of Fame to New York Comic-Con to the International Space Station, where one astronaut plans to wear a badge from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
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astronaut → commemorate → Trek
At the Science Museum in London, fans hope to set a Guinness World Record for the most people performing the Vulcan Salute — a greeting made famous by Star Trek's beloved half-human, half-alien character Spock.
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fans → hope → character
In Los Angeles recently, the show was honored at a Writers Guild Foundation fundraiser by the cast of the hit TV series The Pitt.
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show → honor → series
Actor Noah Wyle, a Star Trek fan, performed as Captain Kirk.
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Onstage before an audience at The Lodge Room in Highland Park, Wylie and his castmates read the script of the show's first episode The Man Trap.
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Wylie → read → episode
NBC aired that first episode on September 8, 1966 (the world premiere was broadcast two days earlier, in Canada).
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premiere → air → Canada
Besides Shatner, the show also featured actors DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Leonard Nimoy as first officer Spock, whose mother was an Earthling and his father from the planet Vulcan.
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mother → feature → planet
"You could characterize Star Trek as being outlined in Greek drama: A hero's got to solve a problem and get back home," says Shatner, now 95, one of the last living main cast members from the original series.
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Weeks ago, he told NPR that the show's creator, Gene Roddenberry, had been inspired by a TV show about a wagon train going West — only his show would be set in space…a Wagon Train to the Stars.
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show → tell → Stars
"They made a pilot and then NBC saw it and said, 'we don't like the script, we don't like the cast, but we like the idea,'" Shatner recalls.
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Shatner → make → idea
That's when comedy legend Lucille Ball stepped in.
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Her production company, Desilu, had produced the pilot.
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company → produce → pilot
Shatner says she was instrumental in getting it a second pilot.
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Nimoy was the only actor to return.
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And Shatner was cast as Kirk.
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"I saw this magical world," Shatner recalls.
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Shatner → see → world
"They took themselves a little seriously, you know, ponderous a little bit here and there.
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you → take → themselves
So my contribution may have been: let's add some humor."
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Speaking in dramatic pauses and with a twinkle in his eye, Shatner was a charming hero.
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But after its third season, the network canceled the series.
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Shatner says Star Trek fans rallied to return it to the air.
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fans → say → air
In syndication, the show continued its popularity, leading to prequels, sequels on TV and in film, video games, podcasts and fan fiction.
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show → continue → film
The original series from the '60s had introduced technological concepts such as a handheld communicator — which inspired the invention of the flip phone.
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which → introduce → phone
The show also posed sci-fi ideas, such as the potential dilemmas of time travel and encountering new and strange life forms.
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show → pose → forms
It also spurred progressive conversations relevant to the 20th century.
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One episode in 1968 is credited with showing the first interracial kiss on television, between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhuru, played by Nichelle Nichols.
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episode → credit → Nichols
"It was a thrilling way to make history," chuckles Shatner.
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Shatner → make → history
He says he admires all 79 episodes of the original Star Trek, including another one about race that featured two aliens that were mirror images of each other — half-white and half-Black.
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that → say → other
"They hated each other.
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It was great prejudice," Shatner notes.
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"But looking at two guys, black and white, it seemed idiotic.
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it → look → guys
And so it didn't take any much of a stretch to say how idiotic racism is."
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racism → take → stretch
George Takei, now 89, played Sulu, a helmsman of Japanese ancestry.
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At the San Diego Comic-Con this year, he talked to NPR about the diversity of Star Trek's cast, including a Black woman as the communications officer, a Scottish chief engineer and a Russian navigator... in addition to assorted aliens.
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he → talk → aliens
…and 23 more, not listed.
