Remembering Gene Roddenberry on his 99th birthday

Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, left behind a lasting legacy that will never fade away

In 1966, Gene Roddenberry opened the doors to a new universe, one that had yet to be revealed. And while the viewing public didn’t immediately take to Star Trek: The Original Series, it would soon become a phenomenon that would lead to over fifty years of exploring the galaxy.

Roddenberry lived to see the launch of Star Trek, Star Trek: The Animated Series, and Star Trek: The Next Generation before passing away in 1991. But his imprint remained on those series and the following motion pictures as well as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise.

ThoughTrek has changed a lot since Roddenberry passed away, his name will always remain a part of this universe simply because he put pen to paper and created Captain Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy, a script that would launch hundreds of careers, earn millions of dollars over the course of five decades, and provide hours upon hours of entertainment.

"It is the struggle itself that is most important. We must strive to be more than we are. It does not matter that we will not reach our ultimate goal. The effort itself yields its own reward.—Gene Roddenberry"

Unfortunately, too many fans did not get the opportunity to meet the man behind some of our favorite characters and shows which is our loss. I know I would have personally loved the chance to thank him in person for these stories, this world he created, that has made a difference in my life.

Because of Gene Roddenberry, I fell in love with Star Trek and now, many, many years later, I get to write about my continued fascination with this universe. While the new iterations of Trek haven’t been perfect, it hasn’t changed my dedication to this franchise.

Happy Birthday, Gene Roddenberry, and thank you for giving us the fascinating world of Star Trek.