Every year on April 5th, we celebrate the first contact between Vulcans and humans which occurred on April 5, 2063 in Bozeman, MT. (Side note: This particular date was chosen by Ronald D. Moore in honor of his son, Jonathan, whose birthday is April 5th.) And this year’s celebration for First Contact Day is going to be a blow-out.
Fans are invited to join the virtual event which will include themed panels, exclusive news from the Star Trek Universe on Paramount+, and episode marathons from ten different Star Trek series. #StarTrekUnitedGives is also back! Paramount+ will donate $1 to organizations that champion equality, social justice, and the pursuit of scientific endeavors and advancements for every person that tweets the hashtag StarTrekUnitedGives.
Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Alice Krige, and Brent Spiner will start the day off with a Star Trek: First Contact 25th Anniversary panel, an appropriate commemoration. There will also be a Women in Motion panel to look back at Star Trek: The Original Series’ Nichelle Nichols’ impact on Star Trek, science, and culture and how she helped pave the way for women of color on television. Star Trek: Discovery’s Sonequa Martin-Green, Star Trek: Picard’s Michelle Hurd and Isa Briones, and Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Dawnn Lewis will be participating.
And there is so much more planned, a full day’s worth, including a Star Trek: Prodigy panel with Kate Mulgrew as she and the animated series executive producers Kevin and Dan Hageman discuss the upcoming series.
To learn more about the full day planned, how you can access the events, and the starting time for each, visit Startrek.com/firstcontact. And as a bonus, the official Star Trek Shop is offering 20% off all merchandise, including special First Contact Day products. You can find out more by visiting the shop on April 5th!