Memorial to Star Trek

As a memorial to my beloved franchise, I am publishing a brief timeline of the most important Star Trek events as today' blog entry. You can skip it if you want, but I would guarantee there are things in here that you don't know, and it won't be that long. Please read it as a tribute to this great series that has been around for 39 years and counting.
Spring 1966 - Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry is bought by the failing production studio Desilu (failing after Lucy & Desi's divorce). The original pilot stars Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Christopher Pike, Majel Barrett as Number One, Leonard Nimoy as a smiling Lt. Spock, Susan Oliver (Vina), John Hoyt (Dr. Boyce), Peter Duryea(Lt. Tyler), and Laurel Goodwin (Yeoman Colt). NBC rejects it, but asks them to make 2nd pilot.
September 1966 - Star Trek premieres starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Recurring characters include DeForrest Kelly (Dr. McCoy), James Doohan (Scotty), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nicoles (Uhura), Grace Lee Whitney (Yeoman Rand), and Majel Barrett (with hair cut and die as Nurse Chapel).
1967 - Whitney (Rand) is fired for drug problems and Walter Koenig (Ens. Chekov) is brought on to draw the younger crowd. DeForrest Kelley is added as the 3rd and final main character.
1969 - Star Trek is cancelled after 3 seasons and 79 episodes. It becomes wildly popular in syndication.
1971 - The first Star Trek convention is held, drawing a crowd of nearly 10,000 where less than 2,000 were expected.
1973 - Star Trek: The Animated Series is launched starring the original cast minus Chekov (not by Koenig's choice, but he still wrote an episode) and featuring new characters Lt. M'Ress (a cat voiced by Barrett) and Lt. Area (the three armed, three legged lt. voiced by Doohan)
1974 - The Animated Series (produced by Filmation which would become Hanna Barbara) is cancelled after only 22 episodes. Deemed "too cerebreal" for Saturday mornings.
1978 - A new live action series called Star Trek Phase Two by Gene Roddenberry goes into production starring the original cast (with Chekov reinstated and missing Leonard Nimoy who published his book I Am Not Spock) and three new characters: Xon (A Vulcan played by David Gautreaux), Commander Decker (Stephen Collins), and Lt. Ilia (a bald Deltan played by Persis Khambatta). The series is set to launch the first ever Paramount TV Network. This would be the crew's Second Five Year Mission. The show is canned along with the network as rumors of a new sci-fi hit, Star Wars spring to press. Paramount decides to compete with movies.
1979 - The pilot for Phase Two becomes Star Trek: The Motion Picture except Decker and Ilia are killed at the end and Xon is killed at the beginning in a transporter accident. Nimoy reluctantly agrees at the last minute to reprise his role as Spock. Other episodes of Phase Two would go on to become Next Generation episodes and the Decker / Ilia story became Riker /Troi. Majel Barret begins voicing the computer and will continue to do so in every movie and television show until Enterprise, when the computer doesn't talk.
1982 - Due to the success of TMP, Star Trek II is released, allowing for Spock's death at Nimoy's request so he never had to play the character again.
1984 - Star Trek III hits theatres with the reinclusion of Spock, whom Nimoy is finally beginning to accept as his life-long role.
1986 - Star Trek IV directed by Nimoy hits theatres.
1987 - Star Trek: The Next Generation is launched by Roddenberry starring Patrick Stewart (Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Marina Sirtis (Troi, audition for Yar), Denise Crosby (Yar, auditioned for Troi), Gates McFadden (Crusher), LeVar Burton (LaForge), Brent Spiner (Data), Michael Dorn (Worf), and Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher). Guest starring Colm Meany (O'Brien). John DeLancie (Q) begins the first of many apperances on the next 3 shows.
1988 - Denise Crosby has them kill Tasha Yar and Gates McFadden leaves the show, allowing Diana Mauldar's Dr. Pulaski to step up. Worf is promoted to actual position. After a call to Roddenberry, Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan) lands a recurring role. Roots: The Gift is made starring LeVar Burton and featuring Kate Mulgrey and Tim Russ (Voyager's Captain Janeway and Tuvok) as well as Avery Brooks (DS9's Captain Sisko).
1989 - Star Trek V directed by Shatner hits theatres. McFadden returns to TNG due to it's overwhelming sucess and Mauldar's lack of contract.
1990 - Afraid of being typecast and tired of being stepped on and berated by Shatner, Wil Wheaton quits TNG. Later he regrets it, but understands he needed to at that point. Dwight Schultz makes the first of 5 TNG episode appreances as Lieutenant Barclay.
1991 - Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek creator dies. Rick Berman takes over. Star Trek VI hits theatres billed as the last voyage of the original crew. It features a cameo by Michael Dorn (Worf) playing his own grandfather. Michelle Forbes (Ro) is cast on TNG as an introduction into the character they plan on making first officer of Deep Space 9.
1992 - Forbes reconsiders doing DS9 and leaves TNG.
1993 - Star Trek: Deep Space 9 is launched starring Avery Brooks (Sisko), Nana Visitor (Kira, instead of Forbes' Ro), Rene Auberjonis (Odo), Terry Farrell (Dax), Colm Meany (from TNG's O'Brien), Alexander Siddig (Bashir), Armin Shimmerman (Quark), and Cirroc Loften (Jake). Ratings are mixed, but the writing is the best of the franchise. The pilot features the TNG cast and Frakes will guest star later.
1994 - Star Trek: The Next Generation leaves the airwaves after 7 seasons, still on top of the ratings. Star Trek: Generations hits theatres allowing a smooth transition from the original crew to TNG. It features a cameo by Tim Russ (Voyager's Tuvok).
1995 - Star Trek: Voyager airs in January launching UPN, Paramount's first TV network (sound familiar???). It will go on to briefly become the #1 on satellite television. The pilot starts on Deep Space 9 and gives Armin Shimmerman (Quark) a cameor. The series will also guets star Frakes (Riker) and Burton (LaForge), as well as those two directing many episodes. Q (John DeLancie) will also recur. It stars Kate Mulgrew (Janeway), Robert Beltran (Chakotay), Tim Russ (Tuvok) Robert Picard (the Doctor), Garret Wang (Kim), Robert Duncan McNeil (Paris), Roxann Dawson (Torres), Ethan Phillips (Neelix), and Jennifer Lien (Kes). Dwight Schultz makes a one-time Voyager apperance as Barclay in Season Two. Michael Dorn joins the cast of Deep Space 9 in his character of Worf and temporarily soars ratings.
1996 - Star Trek: First Contact hits theatres directed by Jonathan Frakes (Riker) (featuring cameo by Dwight Schultz and lacking the camero by Terry Farrell of her piloting the Defiant no matter how much she begged the studio). Two Voyager actors do cameors: Robert Picardo (who has also been guesting on DS9) and Ethan Phillips. Alexander Siddig (Bashir) and Nana Visitor (Kira) are married in real life and give birth to a son. The pregnancy is disguised with a second O'Brien baby storyline.
1997 - The characters of Worf (Dorn) and Dax (Farrell) are married on DS9. Jennifer Lien (Kes) leaves Voyager and Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine is added.
1998 - Star Trek: Insurrection hits theatres directed by Jonathan Frakes (Riker). Terry Farrell asks that they kill off Dax so she can do the show Becker and not be stereotyped. Nicole deBoer takes over as Ezri Dax, who is NOT married to Worf.
1999 - Dwight Schultz's Barclay is added as a recurring character on Star Trek: Voyager and will star in six episodes, most with Marina Sirtis (Troi). Star Trek: Deep Space 9 leaves the airwaves after 7 seasons, culminating in the death of it's captain, Benjamin Sisko.
2001 - Star Trek: Deep Space 9 Season Eight hits bookshelves featuring Nog's promotion to enginerring chief, a new 100 year old human first officer, Kira's promotion to commander, Ro's return, and a host of new characters. Jake Sisko goes missing. Torres (Dawson) and McNeil (Paris) are married on screen in Voyager and have a child. Star Trek: Voyager ends it's seven year run. Enterprise is launched starring Scott Bakula (Archer), Jolene Blalock (T'Pau), Connor Trinner (Trip), Dominic Keaton (Reed), Anthony Montgomery (Mayweather), John Billingsley (Phlox), and Linda Park (Hoshi). The theme song has words! DeForrest Kelley (McCoy) becomes the first and only main cast member to date that dies.
2002 - Star Trek: Nemesis hits theatres and features Brent Spiner (Data)'s death and a cameo by the now Admiral Janeway (Mulgrew), as well as the long awaited Riker/Troi wedding and promotion and the return of Wesley Crusher. It will be the last TNG movie. Kate Mulgrew escapes being the first lady of Ohio when he husband loses the governor race to Taft.
2003 - Deep Space 9: Season Eight ends with the return of Jake and his father, Ben. Star Trek: Voyager finally launches it's own Season Eight books, but no more books are forthcoming. Enterprise is rennamed Star Trek: Enterprise, a long overdue change.
2004 - Deep Space 9: Season Nine launched on bookshelves. Siddig (Bashir) and Visitor (Kira) divorce quietly. William Shatner(Kirk) and Rene Aubjeronis (Odo) star in the new hit show Boston Legal. Brent Spiner becomes the villian on Enterprise playing Data's creator's ancestor.
2005 - Star Trek: Enterprise is cancelled with a bang featuring Marina Sirtis and Jonathan Frakes (Riker and Troi) and the '05-'06 season will be the first in 18 years with no new Star Trek. Production begins on a new Star Trek movie featuring a completely new cast, probably to be released in 2006.
2006 - Star Trek's 40th Anniversary.

Qop! (from Star Trek)
"Space...the Final Frontier...these are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. It's five year mission, to explore strange new world, to seek out new life and new civilization, to boldly go where no man has gone before!"
(I was going to use "Beam Me Up Scott!" but no one ever actually has said that on Star Trek).