How to Watch Star Trek in Order: The Complete Series Timeline

The full star trek timeline, explained..

How to Watch Star Trek in Order: The Complete Series Timeline - IGN Image

Ever since 1966’s premiere of the first episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, the entertainment world has never been the same. This franchise that has boldly gone where no property has gone before has captured the hearts and minds of millions around the world and has grown into a space-faring empire of sorts filled with multiple shows, feature length films, comics, merchandise, and so much more. That being said, the amount of Star Trek out in the world can make it tough to know exactly how to watch everything it offers in either chronological or release order so you don’t miss a thing. To help make things easier for you, we’ve created this guide to break down everything you need to know about engaging with this Star Trek journey.

It used to be a bit trickier to track down all the Star Trek shows and movies you’d need to watch to catch up, but Paramount+ has made it a whole lot easier as it has become the home of nearly all the past, present and future Star Trek entries.

So, without further ado, come with us into the final frontier and learn how you can become all caught up with the adventures of Kirk, Picard, Janeway, Sisko, Spock, Pike, Archer, Burnham, and all the others that have made Star Trek so special over the past 56 years.

And, in case you're worried, everything below is a mostly spoiler-free chronological timeline that will not ruin any of any major plot points of anything further on in the timeline. So, you can use this guide as a handy way to catch up without ruining much of the surprise of what’s to come on your adventure! If you’d prefer to watch everything Star Trek as it was released, you’ll find that list below as well!

How to Watch Star Trek in Chronological Order

  • How to Watch Star Trek by Release Order

1. Star Trek: Enterprise (2151-2155)

Star Trek: Enterprise is the earliest entry on our list as it takes place a hundred years before the adventures of Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew of Star Trek: The Original Series. The show aired from 2001 to 2005 and starred Scott Bakula as Jonathan Archer, the captain of the Enterprise NX-01. This version of the Enterprise was actually Earth’s first starship that was able to reach warp five.

While the show had its ups and downs, it included a fascinating look at a crew without some of the advanced tech we see in other Star Trek shows, the first contact with various alien species we know and love from the Star Trek universe, and more.

2. Star Trek: Discovery: Seasons 1 and 2 (2256-2258)

star trek historical timeline

This is where things get a little bit tricky, as the first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery take place before Star Trek: The Original Series but Seasons 3 and 4 take us boldly to a place we’ve not gone before. We won’t spoil why that’s the case here, but it’s important to note if you want to watch Star Trek in order, you’ll have to do a bit of jumping around from series to movie to series.

As for what Star Trek: Discovery is, it's set the decade before the original and stars Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham, a Starfleet Commander who accidentally helps start a war between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire. She gets court-martialed and stripped of her rank following these events and is reassigned to the U.S.S Discovery.

3. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2259-TBD)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds also begins before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series and is set up by Star Trek: Discovery as its captain, Anson Mount’s Christopher Pike, makes an appearance in its second season. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Pike first appeared in the original failed pilot episode “The Cage” of Star Trek: The Original Series and would later become James T. Kirk’s predecessor after the original actor, Jefferey Hunter, backed out of the show.

Fast forward all these years later and now we get to learn more about the story of Christopher Pike and many other familiar faces from The Original Series alongside new characters. It’s made even more special as the ship the crew uses is the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701, the very same that would soon call Kirk its captain.

4. Star Trek: The Original Series (2265-2269)

star trek historical timeline

The fourth Star Trek series or movie you should watch in the order is the one that started it all - Star Trek: The Original Series . Created by Gene Roddenberry, this first Star Trek entry would kick off a chain reaction that would end up creating one of the most beloved IPs of all time. However, it almost never made it to that legendary status as its low ratings led to a cancellation order after just three seasons that aired from 1966 to 1969. Luckily, it found great popularity after that and built the foundation for all the Star Trek stories we have today.

Star Trek: The Original Series starred William Shatner as James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Spock, but the rest of the crew would go on to become nearly as iconic as they were. As for what the show was about? Well, we think Kirk said it best during each episode’s opening credits;

“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise . Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

5. Star Trek: The Animated Series (2269-2270)

While Star Trek: The Original Series may have been canceled after just three seasons, its popularity only grew, especially with the help of syndication. Following this welcome development, Gene Roddenberry decided he wanted to continue the adventures of the crew of the Enterprise NCC-1701 in animated form, and he brought back many of the original characters and the actors behind them for another go.

Star Trek: The Animated Series lasted for two seasons from 1973 to 1974 and told even more stories of the Enterprise and its adventures throughout the Milky Way galaxy.

6. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (2270s)

star trek historical timeline

The first Star Trek film was a very big deal as it brought back the crew of Star Trek: The Original Series after the show was canceled in 1969 after just three seasons. However, even it had a rough road to theaters as Roddenberry initially failed to convince Paramount Pictures it was worth it in 1975. Luckily, the success of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and other factors helped finally convince those in power to make the movie and abandon the plans for a new television series called Star Trek: Phase II, which also would have continued the original story.

In Star Trek: The Motion Picture, James T. Kirk was now an Admiral in Starfleet, and certain events involving a mysterious alien cloud of energy called V’Ger cause him to retake control of a refitted version of the U.S.S. Enterprise with many familiar faces in tow.

7. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (2285)

Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry had a sequel to Star Trek: The Motion Picture written, but Paramount turned it down after the reception to that first film was not what the studio had hoped for. In turn, Paramount removed him from the production and brought in Harve Bennett and Jack B. Sowards to write the script and Nicholas Meyer to direct the film.

The studio’s decision proved to be a successful one as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is considered by many, including IGN, to be the best Star Trek film. As for the story, it followed the battle between Admiral James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise vs. Ricardo Montalban’ Khan Noonien Singh. Khan is a genetically engineered superhuman and he and his people were exiled by Kirk on a remote planet in the episode ‘Space Seed’ from the original series. In this second film, after being stranded for 15 years, Khan wants revenge.

8. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (2285)

star trek historical timeline

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock continues the story that began in Wrath of Khan and deals with the aftermath of Spock’s death. While many on the U.S.S. Enterprise thought that was the end for their science officer, Kirk learns that Spock’s spirit/katra is actually living inside the mind of DeForest Kelley’s Dr. McCoy, who has been acting strange ever since the death of his friend. What follows is an adventure that includes a stolen U.S.S. Enterprise, a visit from Spock’s father Sarek, a run-in with Klingons, and so much more.

9. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (2286 and 1986)

While it is undoubtedly great that Kirk and his crew saved Spock, it apparently wasn’t great enough to avoid the consequences that follow stealing and then losing the Enterprise. On their way to answer for their charges, the former crew of the Enterprise discover a threat to Earth that, without spoiling anything, causes them to go back in time to save everything they love. The Voyage Home is a big departure from the previous films as, instead of space, we spend most of our time in 1986’s San Francisco.

10. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (2287)

star trek historical timeline

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier once again brings back our favorite heroes from Star Trek: The Original Series, but it’s often regarded as one of the weakest films starring Kirk, Spock, McCoy, etc. In this adventure, our crew’s shore leave gets interrupted as they are tasked with going up against the Vulcan Sybok, who himself is on the hunt for God in the middle of the galaxy.

11. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (2293)

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is the final movie starring the entire cast of Star Trek: The Original Series, and it puts the Klingons front and center. After a mining catastrophe destroys the Klingon moon of Praxis and threatens the Klingon’s homeworld, Klingon Chancellor Gorkon is forced to abandon his species' love of war in an effort to seek peace with the Federation. What follows is an adventure that calls back to the fall of the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall and serves as a wonderful send-off to characters we’ve come to know and love since 1966, even though some will thankfully appear in future installments.

12. Star Trek: The Next Generation (2364-2370)

star trek historical timeline

After you make it through all six of the Star Trek: The Original Series movies, it’s time to start what many consider the best Star Trek series of all time - Star Trek: The Next Generation . The series, which starred Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, ran from 1987 through 1994 with 178 episodes over seven seasons.

There are so many iconic characters and moments in The Next Generation, including William Riker, Data, Worf, Geordi La Forge, Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher, and many of these beloved faces would return for Star Trek: Picard, which served as a continuation of this story.

While we are once again on the U.S.S. Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation, this story takes place a century after the events of Star Trek: The Original Series. However, there may just be a few familiar faces that pop up from time to time.

13. Star Trek Generations (2293)

While Star Trek Generations is the first film featuring the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew, it also features a team-up that many had dreamed of for years and years between Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Captain James T. Kirk.

Our heroes are facing off against an El-Aurian named Dr. Tolian Soran, who will do whatever is necessary to return to an extra-dimensional realm known as the Nexus. Without spoiling anything, these events lead to a meeting with these two legendary captains and a heartfelt-at-times send-off to The Original Series, even though not every character returned that we wished could have.

14. Star Trek: First Contact (2373)

star trek historical timeline

Star Trek: First Contact was not only the second film featuring the crew from Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it also served as the motion picture directorial debut for William Riker actor Jonathan Frakes. In this film, the terrifying Borg take center stage and force our heroes to travel back in time to stop them from conquering Earth and assimilating the entire human race.

This movie picks up on the continuing trauma caused by Jean-Luc Picard getting assimilated in the series and becoming Locutus of Borg, and we are also treated to the first warp flight in Star Trek’s history, a shout-out to Deep Space Nine, and more.

15. Star Trek: Insurrection (2375)

Star Trek: Insurrection, which unfortunately ranked last on our list of the best Star Trek movies, is the third film starring the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew and followed a story involving an alien race that lives on a planet with more-or-less makes them invincible due to its rejuvenating properties. This alien race, known as the Ba’Ku, are being threatened by not only another alien race called the Son’a, but also the Federation. Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew disobey Federation orders in hopes to save the peaceful Ba’Ku, and while it sounds like an interesting premise, many said it felt too much like an extended episode of the series instead of a big blockbuster film.

16. Star Trek: Nemesis (2379)

star trek historical timeline

The final Star Trek: The Next Generation movie is Star Trek: Nemesis , and it also isn’t looked at as one of the best. There are bright parts in the film, including Tom Hardy’s Shinzon who is first thought to be a Romulan praetor before it’s revealed he is a clone of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, but it also features a lot of retreaded ground. There are some great moments between our favorite TNG characters, but it’s not quite the goodbye many had hoped for. Luckily, this won’t be the last we’ll see of them.

17. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2369-2375)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the fourth Star Trek series and it ran from 1993 to 1999 with 176 episodes over seven seasons. Deep Space Nine was also the first Star Trek series to be created without the direct involvement of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, but instead with Rick Berman and Michael Piller. Furthermore, it was the first series to begin when another Star Trek Series - The Next Generation - was still on the air.

The connections between The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine don’t end there, as there were a ton of callbacks to TNG in Deep Space Nine, and characters like Worf and Miles O’Brien played a big part in the series. Other TNG characters popped up from time to time, including Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and certain Deep Space Nine characters also showed their faces in TNG.

Deep Space Nine was a big departure from the Star Trek series that came before, as it not only took place mostly on a space station - the titular Deep Space Nine - but it was the first to star an African American as its central character in Avery Brooks’ Captain Benjamin Sisko.

Deep Space Nine was located in a very interesting part of the Milky Way Galaxy as it was right next to a wormhole, and the series was also filled with conflict between the Cardassians and Bajorans, the war between the Federation and the Dominion, and much more.

18. Star Trek: Voyager (2371-2378)

star trek historical timeline

Star Trek: Voyager is the fifth Star Trek series and it ran from 1995 to 2001 with 172 episodes over seven seasons. Star Trek: Voyager begins its journey at Deep Space Nine, and then it follows the tale of Kate Mulgrew’s Captain Kathryn Janeway (the first female leading character in Star Trek history!) and her crew getting lost and stranded in the faraway Delta Quadrant.

The episodes and adventures that follow all see the team fighting for one goal: getting home. Being so far away from the Alpha Quadrant we were so used to letting Star Trek be very creative in its storytelling and give us situations and alien races we’d never encountered before.

That doesn’t mean it was all unfamiliar, however, as the Borg became a huge threat in the later seasons. It’s a good thing too, as that led to the introduction of Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine, a character who would continue on to appear in Star Trek: Picard and become a fan favorite.

19. Star Trek: Lower Decks (2380-TBD)

Star Trek: Lower Decks debuted in 2020 and was the first animated series to make it to air since 1973’s Star Trek: The Animated Series. Alongside having that feather in its cap, it also sets itself apart by choosing to focus more on the lower lever crew instead of the captain and senior staff.

This leads to many fun adventures that may not be as high stakes as the other stories, but are no less entertaining. There have already been three seasons of Star Trek: Lower Decks, and the fourth season is set to arrive later this summer.

The series is also worth a watch as it is having a crossover with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds that will mix the worlds of live-action and animation.

20. Star Trek: Prodigy (2383-TBD)

Star Trek: Prodigy was the first fully 3D animated Star Trek series ever and told a story that began five years after the U.S.S. Voyager found its way back home to Earth. In this series, which was aimed for kids, a group of young aliens find an abandoned Starfleet ship called the U.S.S. Protostar and attempt to make it to Starfleet and the Alpha Quadrant from the Delta Quadrant.

Voyager fans will be delighted to know that Kate Mulgrew returns as Kathryn Janeway in this animated series, but not only as herself. She is also an Emergency Training Holographic Advisor that was based on the likeness of the former captain of the U.S.S. Voyager.

The second season of Star Trek: Prodigy was set to arrive later this year, but it was not only canceled in June, but also removed from Paramount+. There is still hope this show may find a second life on another streaming service or network.

21. Star Trek: Picard (2399-2402)

star trek historical timeline

Star Trek: Picard is the… well… next generation of Star Trek: The Next Generation as it brings back not only Partick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard, but also many of his former crew members from the beloved series. The story is set 20 years after the events of Star Trek Nemesis and we find Picard retired from Starfleet and living at his family’s vineyard in France.

Without spoiling anything, certain events get one of our favorite captains back to work and take him on an adventure through space and time over three seasons and 30 episodes.

The show had its ups and downs, but the third season, in our opinion, stuck the landing and gave us an “emotional, exciting, and ultimately fun journey for Jean-Luc and his family - both old and new - that gives the character the send-off that he has long deserved.”

22. Star Trek: Discovery: Seasons 3 and 4 (3188-TBD)

While Star Trek: Discovery begins around 10 years before Star Trek: The Original Series, the show jumps more than 900 years into the future into the 32nd Century following the events of the second season. The Federation is not in great shape and Captain Michael Burnham and her crew work to bring it back to what it once was.

Star Trek: Discovery is set to end after the upcoming fifth season, which will debut on Paramount+ in 2024.

How to Watch Star Trek by Order of Release

  • Star Trek: The Original Series (1966 - 1969)
  • Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973 - 1974)
  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
  • Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
  • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1984)
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 - 1994)
  • Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
  • Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 - 1999)
  • Star Trek: Generations (1994)
  • Star Trek: Voyager (1995 - 2001)
  • Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
  • Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
  • Star Trek: Enterprise (2001 - 2005)
  • Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
  • Star Trek (2009)
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
  • Star Trek Beyond (2016)
  • Star Trek: Discovery (2017 - Present)
  • Star Trek: Picard (2020 - 2023)
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020 - Present)
  • Star Trek: Prodigy (2021 - TBA)
  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022 - Present)

For more, check out our look at the hidden meaning behind Star Trek’s great captains, why Star Trek doesn’t get credit as the first shared universe, if this may be the end of Star Trek’s golden age of streaming, and our favorite classic Star Trek episodes and movies.

In This Article

Star Trek

IGN Recommends

X-Men '97 Directors on Episode 5's Shocking Tragedy

Star Trek timeline: Boldly go on a chronological journey through the Trek universe

From the Original Series to Discovery, here’s how the Star Trek timeline fits together

Star Trek: Picard, which fits on the Star Trek timeline

The Star Trek timeline becomes more sprawling every week. There's little chance Gene Roddenberry, when he created the series back in the '60s, could have guessed that there would be a new episode of Star Trek made available every week (sometimes even two!).

With hundreds of hours of television spread across several TV shows and over a dozen movies, knowing where to begin with the Star Trek timeline is something of a challenge. The events of the ongoing series Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard don't exactly fit in seamlessly at the end. And if you're wanting to include Voyager or Nemesis on a watch/rewatch, then you're in for some complications.

With that in mind, we’ve assembled all the key events that shaped Federation history into one massive Star Trek timeline. We’ve even included the parallel "Kelvin" continuity of the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie and its sequels, an alternative sequence of events kickstarted when a rogue Romulan ship from the future destroyed the USS Kelvin – killing James T. Kirk’s dad, George, and forever altering Kirk and Spock’s destinies. 

That said, because the numerous spin-off Trek comics and novels aren’t traditionally considered part of the official Star Trek timeline, we’ve left them out. We’ve also steered clear of the Mirror Universe, so there isn’t quite so much timey-wimey stuff going on that you’d have to be Spock or Data to understand it. But before we engage the warp drive and explore the history of the future, here’s an at-a-glance guide to how the various movies and TV shows fit into the Star Trek timeline:

The Prime Star Trek timeline

  • Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)
  • Star Trek: The Cage (1965)
  • Star Trek Discovery pre-time jump (2017-2019)
  • Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969)
  • Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974)
  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
  • Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
  • Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock (1984)
  • Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home (1986)
  • Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier (1989)
  • Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
  • Star Trek: Generations (1994)
  • Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)
  • Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
  • Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
  • Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
  • Star Trek: Picard (2020-ongoing)
  • Star Trek: Discovery post-time jump (2020-ongoing)
  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022-ongoing)

The Kelvin Star Trek timeline

  • Star Trek (2009)
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
  • Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Star Trek timeline

Image credit: Paramount Pictures

Around 200,000 years ago:  An ancient alien species is wiped out by an uprising of synthetic beings. They leave eight stars in an implausible arrangement, the Conclave of Eight, to serve as a warning to future generations. (Star Trek: Picard) 

1893 - The time-travelling crew of the USS Enterprise-D encounters The Adventures of Tom Sawyer author Mark Twain in San Francisco. (Time’s Arrow, Star Trek: The Next Generation)

1930 - Having been sent back to 20th century New York by the malevolent ring the Guardian of Forever, James T Kirk is forced to allow peace campaigner Edith Keeler to die in order to save millions of lives in World War 2. (The City on the Edge of Forever, Star Trek: The Original Series)

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

1947 - Ferengi Quark, Rom, and Nog crash land in 20th century Roswell, New Mexico, and are captured by US authorities who (correctly, to be fair) think they’re aliens. (Little Green Men, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

1986 - Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the original Enterprise crew kidnap a pair of humpback whales to save the future from an alien probe. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

1996 - Genetically enhanced tyrant Khan Noonien Singh and 84 of his followers escape the Eugenics Wars on Earth (remember those?), going into suspended animation on the SS Botany Bay. (Space Seed, Star Trek: The Original Series)

2024  – Picard and La Sirena crew arrive in the 21st century to fix the event that's created a dystopian alternative timeline. Along the way they meet a younger version of Guinan and an ancient ancestor of Data's creator. (Star Trek: Picard)

2063 - In the wake of World War 3, Zefram Cochrane makes Earth’s first successful warp flight, attracting the attention of some passing Vulcans who subsequently introduce Earth into the interstellar community – all while the crew of the Enterprise-E fight to stop the Borg assimilating the planet. (Star Trek: First Contact)

2151 - Suliban fighting in a Temporal Cold War shoot down Klingon warrior Klaang over Broken Bow, Oklahoma – bringing about humanity’s first contact with a Klingon. The prototype USS Enterprise (NX-01) sets off on a mission to return him to Qo’noS – against the wishes of the Vulcans and their massive superiority complex. (Broken Bow, Star Trek: Enterprise)

Image credit: Paramount Pictures

2153 - An alien probe fires a massive energy beam at Earth’s surface, causing destruction across the American continent. The Enterprise is redeployed to the Delphic Expanse to fight back against the perpetrators, the Xindi. (The Expanse, Star Trek: Enterprise) A group of Borg who survived the attempted invasion of Earth in 2063 are accidentally thawed by a research team in the Arctic. It doesn’t end well. (Regeneration, Star Trek: Enterprise)

2164 - The USS Franklin, commanded by Captain Balthazar Edison, goes missing – that might just prove important later… (Star Trek Beyond)

2230 - Spock is born on Vulcan.

2233 - James T Kirk is born. 

2233 (Kelvin timeline) - The USS Kelvin is destroyed by time-travelling 24th century Romulan ship Narada, kickstarting the so-called the Kelvin timeline. (Star Trek, 2009)

star trek historical timeline

Every Star Trek Discovery Easter egg and hidden reference you might have missed

2230s (exact date unknown) - After her parents are killed in a Klingon attack, Michael Burnham is adopted by Sarek and Amanda Grayson on Vulcan. Her adoptive brother, Spock, has his first sighting of a “ Red Angel ”. (Will You Take My Hand?, Star Trek: Discovery)

2254 - The USS Enterprise, captained by Christopher Pike, discovers the survivors of crashed survey ship SS Columbia on Talos IV – though it turns out they’re an illusion created by the telepathic Talosians. (Star Trek: The Cage)

2256 - The USS Shenzou’s first officer, Commander Michael Burnham, defies the orders of Captain Philippa Georgiou, and is charged with mutiny. The Federation/Klingon War begins at the Battle of the Binary Stars. (The Vulcan Hello/The Battle at the Binary Stars, Star Trek: Discovery)

2257 - The Federation/Klingon War ends, with the hydro bomb Section 31 plant at the heart of Qo’noS helping maintain peace between feuding Klingon houses. (Will You Take My Hand, Star Trek: Discovery) With the Enterprise under repair, Christopher Pike assumes command of the Discovery on a mission to understand the so-called “Red Angels” – and track down his AWOL science officer, Spock. (Brother, Star Trek: Discovery)

Image credit: Paramount Pictures

2258 –  In order to save all life in the universe from a rogue Federation AI known as Control, Michael Burnham uses the Red Angel time travel suit (created by her parents) to carry data collected by a millennia-old alien probe into the future. The USS Discovery and its crew follow her on a one-way trip through the wormhole. (Star Trek: Discovery)

2258 (Kelvin timeline) - The Narada reappears and destroys Vulcan, as an act of revenge on Spock. The Enterprise (commanded by Christopher Pike) engages the Romulan ship, but with Pike incapacitated, James T Kirk eventually assumes command of the ship – and defeats the Narada. In the wake of Vulcan’s destruction, Admiral Alexander Marcus tries to increase Starfleet’s military capabilities – and subsequently discovers the SS Botany Bay years earlier than in the Prime timeline. Khan Noonien Singh is revived and recruited by shadowy spy branch Section 31. (Star Trek Into Darkness)

2259 (Kelvin timeline) - Going under the name John Harrison, Khan wages a one-man war on the Federation – all in the name of recovering his crew from suspended animation. The Enterprise crew eventually defeat him and put him back into stasis, but Kirk dies in the process. Luckily Dr McCoy is able to use some of Khan’s blood to revive his captain – phew! (Star Trek Into Darkness)

2260 (Kelvin timeline) - The USS Enterprise begins its (other) famous five-year mission. (Star Trek Into Darkness)

2263 (Kelvin timeline) - Three years into the five-year mission (with things starting to get boring), the Enterprise is destroyed by Krall’s swarm ships, marooning the crew on an alien planet. It turns out Krall was the captain of the aforementioned USS Franklin, who’s spent the last century using alien tech to keep himself alive – and developing a colossal grudge against the Federation. He’s eventually killed on new Federation starbase, the USS Yorktown. James T Kirk and crew are assigned to a new ship, the Enterprise-A. The original Spock Prime – the one who travelled back in time – passes away on New Vulcan (Star Trek Beyond).

2266 - The USS Enterprise’s five-year mission to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilisations, to boldly go where no one has gone before, begins under the command of Captain James T Kirk. (Star Trek: The Original Series)

2267 - After Spock mutinies, a gravely injured Christopher Pike is taken to the off-limits Talos 4, and lives out a “normal” life thanks to the illusions of the telepathic Talosians. (The Menagerie, Star Trek: The Original Series) The Enterprise discovers SS Botany Bay, and awakens Khan Noonien Singh from suspended animation. After he tries to take over the ship, Khan and his crew are exiled to Ceti Alpha 5. (Space Seed, Star Trek: The Original Series)

Image credit: Paramount Pictures

Early 2270s (exact year unknown) - The refitted USS Enterprise (commanded once again by Admiral James T Kirk) encounters V’Ger, a 20th century space probe (Voyager 6 under an alias) that has gained sentience and threatens to destroy planet Earth. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)

2285 - While on a training mission, the USS Enterprise is critically damaged by Khan Noonien Singh, who has escaped exile on Ceti Alpha V and wants revenge on Kirk. The Genesis planet is created by detonation of the top secret Genesis torpedo, and Spock dies after sacrificing himself to save the Enterprise. (Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan) Kirk, McCoy and the rest of the surviving Enterprise crew defy Starfleet orders to commandeer the ship for a mission to the Genesis planet to recover Spock’s body. After they unexpectedly encounter a hostile Klingon Bird-of-Prey, Kirk self-destructs the Enterprise – but Spock is resurrected. (Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock)

2286 - A mysterious space probe appears in Earth orbit, attempting to make contact with now-extinct humpback whales. Kirk and co pilot their commandeered Bird-of-Prey back to 20th century Earth to find some whales. Admiral Kirk is demoted to captain as punishment for his insurrection, and the USS Enterprise-A goes into active service. (Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home)

star trek historical timeline

Live long and prosper with the best Star Trek merchandise around

2287 - The new Enterprise is commandeered by Spock’s half-brother, Sybok, who plans to meet God (yes, really) at the centre of the galaxy. The question “What does God need with a starship?” has never felt so pertinent. (Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier)

2290 - Hikaru Sulu assumes command of the USS Excelsior, breaking up the Enterprise “dream team” – it was probably about time, to be fair.. (Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country)

2293 - Praxis, the Klingon moon responsible for most of the empire’s power production, explodes. With Kirk and the classic crew due for retirement, they set off on one last mission to escort the Klingon ambassador to peace negotiations with the Federation – and end up having to foil a complex plot to scupper the whole thing. (Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country) Captain James T Kirk is presumed dead when the Nexus energy ribbon has a close encounter with the newly launched Enterprise-B. Predictably, it’s not the end, though… (Star Trek: Generations)

2330s (exact year unknown) - Data is created by pioneering scientist Dr Noonian Soong. (Datalore, Star Trek: The Next Generation)

2344 - The USS Enterprise-C answers a distress call from a Klingon outpost on Narendra III. Surrounded by Romulan Warbirds, it faces certain destruction until it disappears into a mysterious temporal rift… (Yesterday’s Enterprise, Star Trek: The Next Generation)

2356 - Future Seven of Nine Annika Hansen is assimilated by the Borg, along with her parents on their ship, The Raven. (The Raven, Star Trek: Voyager)

2364 - Commander William T Riker joins the crew of the USS Enterprise-D, under the command of Jean-Luc Picard. Omnipotent being Q appears and puts humanity on trial. (Encounter At Farpoint, Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Image credit: Paramount Pictures

2365 - Q shows up again, and transports the Enterprise to uncharted space for Starfleet’s first encounter with the Borg. (Q Who, Star Trek: The Next Generation)

2366 - The Enterprise-C emerges from that aforementioned temporal rift and creates a new timeline where the Federation is at war with the Klingons. (Yesterday’s Enterprise, Star Trek: The Next Generation) The Borg show up in Federation space to start an invasion. Jean-Luc Picard is assimilated, becoming Locutus, and Starfleet is almost wiped out at the Battle of Wolf 359. (The Best of Both Worlds, Star Trek: The Next Generation)

2368 - Now an ambassador, Spock turns up on Romulus trying to reunify the Vulcan and Romulan races. (Unification, Star Trek: The Next Generation)

2369 - The Cardassians cease their occupation of Bajor and vacate their space station, Terok Nor. Starfleet moves in and renames it Deep Space Nine, with Benjamin Sisko taking command. It should be a relatively straightforward gig – until a wormhole opens to the Gamma Quadrant on the other side of the galaxy. (Emissary, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

2370 - Starfleet makes first contact with the Dominion, an alliance of races led by shapeshifting Founders from the Gamma Quadrant. (The Search, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

2371 - Turns out James T Kirk wasn’t dead after all – he was just living inside the Nexus energy ribbon where all your dreams come true. When El-Aurian scientist Dr Tolian Soran threatens to destroy entire worlds to get back inside the Nexus, Jean-Luc Picard enlists Kirk’s help to stop him – which doesn’t end well for Kirk, who ends up dead for the final time. The Enterprise-D also meets its end. (Star Trek: Generations) USS Voyager and a ship of Maquis freedom fighters are transported to the distant Delta Quadrant by an alien “caretaker”. The two crews become BFFs implausibly quickly – and for some reason, invite Neelix on board. (Caretaker, Star Trek: Voyager)

Image credit: Paramount Pictures

2373 - The Borg have another crack at invading Earth. Seemingly defeated, they launch a last ditch attempt to assimilate humanity in the past – so Jean-Luc Picard and crew take their shiny new Enterprise-E back in time to stop them. (Star Trek: First Contact) Meanwhile, back in the Borg’s home territory of the Delta Quadrant, Voyager forms an unlikely alliance with the Collective to battle Species 8472 from “fluidic space”. Borg drone Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01 (AKA, Seven of Nine) joins the Voyager crew. (Scorpion, Star Trek: Voyager) The Dominion War kicks off between the Dominion and the Federation. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

2375 - The Dominion War ends. Benjamin Sisko, the Bajoran “emissary” moves into the wormhole to commune with its residents – aliens who have no sense of linear time. (What You Leave Behind, Deep Space Nine) The Enterprise crew uncovers a shady Federation plot to relocate the near-immortal inhabitants of a paradise planet, to harness its youth-giving properties. It’s difficult to care about any of it. (Star Trek: Insurrection)

2378 - USS Voyager finally makes it back to Federation space. After seven years away, Ensign Harry Kim is still an Ensign. (Endgame, Star Trek: Voyager)

2379 - Shinzon, a clone of Jean-Luc Picard, takes control of the Romulan senate – and his overtures towards peace with the Federation turn out to be a front for war. The Enterprise eventually stops him, but Data has to sacrifice himself to save the day… (Star Trek: Nemesis)

2380  – The crew of the USS Cerritos travel around the galaxy, specialising in "second contact" situations. (Star Trek: Lower Decks)

2385  – Members of the Romulan Zhat Vash experience the Admonition on the “grief world” of Aia, driving many to madness and suicide. Their leader, Commodore Oh, instigates the uprising of synthetic workers at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards on Mars, leaving 92,143 people dead and the planet burning. Facing heavy losses, Starfleet abandons its rescue mission to help rescue the residents of Romulus from an upcoming supernoval. Admiral Jean-Luc Picard resigns in protest. (Star Trek: Picard) 

2387 - With a supernova threatening to destroy Romulus, Spock – still active after all these years, remarkably – attempts to save the planet by using “red matter” to create a black hole that will engulf the exploding star. He fails – and he, and Romulan ship the Narada, are sucked into the black hole, and back into the newly created parallel Kelvin timeline. (Star Trek, 2009)

2390  – Starfleet vessel the Ibn Majid encounters a pair of synthetic lifeforms. Under orders from Commodore Oh, the captain executes the two androids before taking his own life. First Officer Chris Rios is so traumatised by the experience – expunged from Federation records – that he leaves Starfleet six months later. (Star Trek: Picard)

2399  – The long-retired Jean-Luc Picard ventures back into space after years living on the family vineyard. Having discovered that the late Data had a pair of ridiculously advanced twin daughters, the long-retired Jean-Luc Picard ventures back into space after years on the family vineyard. EXTRA BITS After some close encounters with rogue Romulans, militant AI, and a few Borg, Picard succumbs to his terminal Irumodic Syndrome – but is reborn in a new android body. (Star Trek: Picard)

2400 –  Now running Starfleet Academy, Picard finds himself back on a starship when a spatial anomaly appears, broadcasting his name in multiple languages. After ending up in a totalitarian alternative timeline – possibly with a bit of help from Q – he gathers up the crew of La Sirena to travel back to a pivotal event in 2024. (Star Trek: Picard)

3069  – The so-called Burn causes the cataclysmic destruction of dilithium across the galaxy. The Federation is involved in a Temporal War that leads to a galaxy-wide ban on time travel. During this period, Temporal Agent Daniels travels back to 2151 to infiltrate Captain Archer's Enterprise, and overthrow a Suliban plot. (Star Trek: Enterprise/Star Trek: Discovery)

3188 –  Michael Burnham emerges from the wormhole, and joins forces with courier Cleveland 'Book' Booker. (Star Trek: Discovery)

3189 –  DIscovery arrives in the 32nd century and discovers a universe where the Federation has been decimated by the Burn – the biggest power is now criminal syndicate the Emerald Chain. With the spore drive now one of the most important resources in the galaxy, Captain Saru and crew work to discover the cause of the Burn – and restore the Federation to past glories. (Star Trek: Discovery)

3190  – As numerous worlds sign up to rejoin the resurgent Federation, a mysterious Dark Matter Anomaly destroys Book's homeworld and threatens all life in the Alpha Quadrant. (Star Trek: Discovery)

All caught up? Great, now come and discover the best Star Trek episodes that every Trekkie should watch right now, or watch the video below for a complete guide to the Star Wars timeline – that other sci-fi galaxy far, far, away... 

Richard is a freelancer journalist and editor, and was once a physicist. Rich is the former editor of SFX Magazine, but has since gone freelance, writing for websites and publications including GamesRadar+, SFX, Total Film, and more. He also co-hosts the podcast, Robby the Robot's Waiting, which is focused on sci-fi and fantasy. 

X-Men '97: All the Easter eggs, cameos, and references

X-Men '97 episode 5 review: "Heartbreaking at the most catastrophic level"

Heck yeah, my favorite open-world indie game of 2023 is releasing on Switch in June

Most Popular

By Will Salmon 9 April 2024

By Jasmine Gould-Wilson 9 April 2024

By Joe Donnelly 9 April 2024

By Jen Simpkins 8 April 2024

By Jordan Farley 8 April 2024

By Jeremy Peel 8 April 2024

By Niall O'Donoghue 7 April 2024

By Rachel Watts 6 April 2024

By George Marston 5 April 2024

By Austin Wood 5 April 2024

By Eric Francisco 5 April 2024

star trek historical timeline

Image of USS Cerritos of Star Trek: Lower Decks

The Ultimate Chronological Star Trek Viewing Guide

Buy me a coffee

Last Updated: April 7, 2024

This site has no ads and makes no money, but if you find it useful and want to throw some thanks my way, who am I to argue? ;-)

https://venmo.com/u/JohnKFisher

star trek historical timeline

Newly added: Discovery Season 5!

Newly added: Lower Decks Season 2!

New: Print-friendly page added!

Abbreviation Guide

The 21st Century

The 22nd century, the 23rd century.

    (DIS,SNW,TOS,TAS)

The 24th Century

    (TNG,DS9,VOY,LDS,PRO,PIC)

The 25th Century

The 31st century, the 32nd century, introduction.

This Star Trek viewing guide will assist you through watching the entire franchise, based not on production dates, but on in-universe story order, all the way from the 21st to the 32nd centuries.  As it is a viewing guide and not a rigid chronology, some episodes are shifted to keep things as clear and fun as possible. The site is updated regularly to stay current. 

There is now a print-friendly version without the graphics as well.

To avoid spoilers, I’ve moved discussion of the thinking behind some less clear-cut decisions to a separate “methodology” page . Opinions and feedback are welcome!

Series Overview and Abbreviation Guide

Past Shows:

    TOS —> Star Trek - The Original Series (1964, 1966-1969)

    TAS —> Star Trek - The Animated Series    (1973-1974)

    TNG —> Star Trek - The Next Generation    (1987-1994)

    DS9 —> Star Trek - Deep Space Nine     (1993-1999)

    VOY —> Star Trek - Voyager (1995-2001)

    ENT —> Star Trek - Enterprise (2001-2005)

    SHO —> Star Trek - Short Treks (2018-2020)

    PIC —> Star Trek - Picard (2020-2023)

    MOV —> Theatrical Movies (1979-1991, 1994-2002, 2009-2016)

Current Shows:

    DIS —> Star Trek - Discovery (2017-2024)

    LDS —> Star Trek - Lower Decks (2020-)

    PRO —> Star Trek - Prodigy (2021-)

    SNW —> Star Trek - Strange New Worlds (2022-)

Series Overview and Abbreviation Guide: Star Trek Universe

April 5th, 2063:

star trek historical timeline

Star Trek essentially begins on this date, when Zefram Cochrane creates faster-than-light travel (“warp drive”) allowing humans to meet extraterrestrial life, the Vulcans, for the first time. We will see this event later in the viewing order, but for now it’s just backstory.

2151

We start with Star Trek: Enterprise (technically just titled Enterprise until season three). While the first in the timeline, this show was actually the sixth Star Trek series made, and includes many fun hints of future events.  We will mostly follow the release order, but will skip some episodes in Seasons two and four until later in the viewing order.

  • ENT    Season 1, episode 1    -    Broken Bow, Part 1
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 2    -    Broken Bow, Part 2
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 3    -    Fight or Flight
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 4    -    Strange New World
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 5    -    Unexpected
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 6    -    Terra Nova
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 7    -    The Andorian Incident
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 8    -    Breaking the Ice
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 9    -    Civilization
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 10    -    Fortunate Son
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 11    -    Cold Front
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 12    -    Silent Enemy
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 13    -    Dear Doctor
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 14    -    Sleeping Dogs
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 15    -    Shadows of P'Jem
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 16    -    Shuttlepod One
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 17    -    Fusion
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 18    -    Rogue Planet
  • ENT    Season 1, episode 19    -    Acquisition

2152

  • ENT      Season 1, episode 20      -      Oasis
  • ENT      Season 1, episode 21      -      Detained
  • ENT      Season 1, episode 22      -      Vox Sola
  • ENT      Season 1, episode 23      -      Fallen Hero
  • ENT      Season 1, episode 24      -      Desert Crossing
  • ENT      Season 1, episode 25      -      Two Days and Two Nights
  • ENT      Season 1, episode 26      -      Shockwave, Part I
  • ENT      Season 2, episode 1      -      Shockwave, Part II
  • ENT      Season 2, episode 2      -      Carbon Creek
  • ENT      Season 2, episode 3      -      Minefield
  • ENT      Season 2, episode 4      -      Dead Stop
  • ENT      Season 2, episode 5      -      A Night in Sickbay
  • ENT      Season 2, episode 6      -      Marauders
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 7    -    The Seventh
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 8    -    The Communicator
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 9    -    Singularity
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 10    -    Vanishing Point
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 11    -    Precious Cargo
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 12    -    The Catwalk
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 13    -    Dawn
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 14    -    Stigma
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 15    -    Cease Fire
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 16    -    Future Tense
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 17    -    Canamar
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 18    -    The Crossing
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 19    -    Judgment

2153

  • ENT    Season 2, episode 20    -    Horizon
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 21    -    The Breach
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 22    -    Cogenitor

We are skipping episode 23 (“Regeneration”) for now, but will return to it later.

  • ENT    Season 2, episode 24    -    First Flight
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 25    -    Bounty
  • ENT    Season 2, episode 26    -    The Expanse
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 1    -    The Xindi
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 2    -    Anomaly
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 3    -    Extinction
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 4    -    Rajiin
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 5    -    Impulse
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 6    -    Exile
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 7    -    The Shipment
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 8    -    Twilight
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 9    -    North Star
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 10    -    Similitude
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 11    -    Carpenter Street
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 12    -    Chosen Realm
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 13    -    Proving Ground
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 14    -    Stratagem
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 15    -    Harbinger

2154

  • ENT    Season 3, episode 16    -    Doctor's Orders 
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 17    -    Hatchery
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 18    -    Azati Prime 
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 19    -    Damage 
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 20    -    The Forgotten 
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 21    -    E-Squared 
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 22    -    The Council
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 23    -    Countdown 
  • ENT    Season 3, episode 24    -    Zero Hour 

In its fourth and final season, Enterprise, under the guidance of a new showrunner, really takes advantage of its ability to foreshadow events in later chronologically-placed stories. Please pay attention to the episode numbers as we skip episodes 18, 19, and 22 for now and watch them later.

  • ENT    Season 4, episode 1    -    Storm Front, Part 1
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 2    -    Storm Front, Part 2
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 3    -    Home
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 4    -    Borderland
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 5    -    Cold Station 12
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 6    -    The Augments
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 7    -    The Forge
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 8    -    Awakening
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 9    -    Kir'Shara
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 10    -    Daedalus
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 11    -    Observer Effect
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 12    -    Babel One
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 13    -    United
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 14    -    The Aenar
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 15    -    Affliction
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 16    -    Divergence
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 17    -    Bound 

2155

  • ENT    Season 4, episode 20    -    Demons 
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 21    -    Terra Prime 

Although we will be moving on from Enterprise for now, we will return to watch the skipped episodes and the series finale later. Even so, the two-parter above is near-universally considered a better end-point for this point in the story.

2156

The Earth-Romulan War, which was first mentioned in the original 1960s series, occurs here. Enterprise intended to cover this starting in the fifth season, but was unfortunately cancelled after Season Four. While we don't get to see the conflict on screen, its impact is felt throughout Enterprise and beyond. During the war, Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites form a loosely structured Coalition of Planets which manages to push back the Romulans. This Coalition leads directly to…

2161

…the formation of the United Federation of Planets, the primary political setting of the Star Trek franchise.

From this point on, Star Trek focuses on the Federation, depicting its periods of peace, war, expansion, and decline, which will set the agenda for much of the franchise.

2230s

Early 2230s

star trek historical timeline

An adaptation of an (actual) ancient African legend, told to a young girl we will meet again later as an adult, this is our first “Short Treks” episode. These mini-episodes are not tied to any specific time or place in the Star Trek franchise and will appear occasionally throughout this list.

  • SHO    Season 2, episode 5    -    The Girl Who Made the Stars 

2233

2233 - A sidenote about universes/timelines:

There are two main “universes” in the Star Trek franchise: the Kelvin timeline (consisting of three feature films) and the Prime timeline (covering everything else). This year, 2233, is when events occur which split the universe into the Kelvin and Prime timelines. For now, we will stay with the Prime timeline in this viewing order, but keep in mind the Kelvin timeline for later. Note that there is a third universe, the "Mirror" universe, and occasional alternate timelines. However, for simplicity, our visits there will not be separated from the Prime episodes.

2161

2233 (Prime)

star trek historical timeline

The USS Kelvin flies through space, exploring strange new worlds. 

Nothing happens. 

All is well.

2161

  • SHO    Season 1, episode 3    -    The Brightest Star

2161

After a quick Short Trek in which we meet a young ensign reporting to his new ship, we reach the very first Star Trek episode produced: The Cage, dating from 1964-65. Rejected by NBC for being "too cerebral," studio owner Lucille Ball convinced the network to give the show another chance at a pilot. While much of The Cage’s footage is reused in a later episode, "The Menagerie," we recommend that you don't skip either one. The character of Captain Pike becomes highly significant shortly, and both episodes offer valuable insights into him and Spock.

Viewing notes: When referring to the original 1960s "Star Trek," this guide uses the abbreviation TOS (The Original Series). TOS is available in two versions: the classic 1960s version and a CGI- enhanced remastered version made from 2006-08. The remastered versions do not alter the stories in any way making the version you choose a matter of personal preference.  

  • SHO    Season 2, episode 1    -    Q&A 
  • TOS    Season 0, episode 1    -    The Cage 

2161

We now begin Star Trek: Discovery, which is the seventh Star Trek series produced, but only the second series chronologically. It also is the first series to significantly revamp the visual designs, departing from the previous assumption that the 23rd century looked the same as it did in the original 1960s series. Discovery updates the designs, and we are trusted to accept that they have "always" looked this way, affecting uniforms, ships, alien makeup, and more. The Klingons, in particular, received a dramatic redesign, though it was significantly backtracked after the first season. These are not continuity issues, and should not be viewed as such, though we could certainly nitpick details if we chose to. 

  • DIS    Season 1, episode 1    -    The Vulcan Hello
  • DIS    Season 1, episode 2    -    Battle of the Binary Stars
  • DIS    Season 1, episode 3    -    Context is for Kings
  • DIS    Season 1, episode 4    -    The Butchers Knife Cares Not for the Lambs Cry
  • DIS    Season 1, episode 5    -    Choose Your Pain
  • DIS    Season 1, episode 6    -    Lethe
  • DIS    Season 1, episode 7    -    Magic to Make the Sanest Man go Mad

2161

  • DIS    Season 1, episode 8    -    Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum
  • DIS    Season 1, episode 9    -    Into the Forest I Go

Watching Trek in this order presents a quirk in episode 10, where the USS Defiant is, to avoid spoilers, somewhere it shouldn't be. The show assumes that we know the explanation, but don't worry about it. We will learn why when we reach 2268, but in the meantime, it is entirely unimportant to how the story in Discovery unfolds.

  • DIS    Season 1, episode 10    -    Despite Yourself
  • DIS    Season 1, episode 11    -    The Wolf Inside
  • DIS    Season 1, episode 12    -    Vaulting Ambition
  • DIS    Season 1, episode 13    -    What's Past is Prologue
  • DIS    Season 1, episode 14    -    The War Without, The War Within
  • DIS    Season 1, episode 15    -    Will You Take My Hand?
  • SHO    Season 1, episode 1    -    Runaway
  • SHO    Season 1, episode 4    -    Escape Artist
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 1    -    Brother
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 2    -    New Eden
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 3    -    Point of Light
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 4    -    An Obol for Charon
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 5    -    Saints of Imperfection
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 6    -    The Sound of Thunder
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 7    -    Light and Shadows
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 8    -    If Memory Serves
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 9    -    Project Daedalus
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 10    -    The Red Angel
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 11    -    Perpetual Infinity
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 12    -    Through the Valley of Shadows
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 13    -    Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1
  • DIS    Season 2, episode 14    -    Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2

2161

I will avoid spoilers, but after watching the episode listed just above, it will be clear why we are pausing our viewing of Discovery, even though there are more episodes left to watch. We will come back to the series at the appropriate time to continue the series.

  • SHO    Season 2, episode 2    -    The Trouble with Edward
  • SHO    Season 2, episode 3    -    Ask Not

2161

We now move away from the Discovery crew to follow Capt. Pike, back in command of the Enterprise, for an absolutely delightful series that deliberately throws back to 1960s Trek in many ways, including the first appearances of some characters we will continue to see for many years to come.

  • SNW    Season 1, episode 1    -    Strange New Worlds
  • SNW    Season 1, episode 2    -    Children of the Comet
  • SNW    Season 1, episode 3    -    Ghosts of Illyria
  • SNW    Season 1, episode 4    -    Momento Mori
  • SNW    Season 1, episode 5    -    Spock Amok
  • SNW    Season 1, episode 6    -    Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach
  • SNW    Season 1, episode 7    -    The Serene Squall
  • SNW    Season 1, episode 8    -    The Elysian Kingdom
  • SNW    Season 1, episode 9    -    All Those Who Wander
  • SNW    Season 1, episode 10    -    A Quality of Mercy
  • SNW    Season 2 episode 1    -    The Broken Circle
  • SNW    Season 2, episode 2    -    Ad Astra per Aspera
  • SNW    Season 2, episode 3    -    Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
  • SNW    Season 2, episode 4    -    Among the Lotus Eaters
  • SNW    Season 2, episode 5    -    Charades
  • SNW    Season 2, episode 6    -    Lost in Translation

Skipping Episode 7 for later…

Pay attention to the possible future laid out in this next episode; we see how the timeline actually plays out later in this chronology.

  • SNW    Season 2, episode 8    -    Under the Cloak of War
  • SNW    Season 2, episode 9    -    Subspace Rhapsody
  • SNW    Season 2, episode 10    -    Hegemony

2161

Here’s that second Original Series pilot Lucille Ball fought for, now with (most) of the classic 1960’s Star Trek crew. Still no Dr. McCoy, Uhura, or Chekov, Kirk has a different middle initial, the uniforms and sets still aren’t quite right… but we are for the first time recognizably in the world of the show that started it all.

  • TOS    Season 1, episode 3    -    Where No Man Has Gone Before

2161

2266-Notes on The Original Series

Just to clarify - the original Star Trek will appear less advanced in terms of its designs and aesthetic compared to the other Star Trek shows we have watched so far, but this is only due to the limitations of television production at the time. This is not “true” in story terms - the technology and society in TOS should be read as on par with Discovery and Strange New Worlds, which all take place at roughly this point in the timeline, and the Enterprise, despite looking different, should be accepted as the exact same ship Pike commanded in Strange New Worlds.

As for the actual viewing order, to fully appreciate the development of the show, it's recommended to watch TOS in production order instead of by air date.  In general, don’t get too hung up on continuity with the rest of the franchise in these early days - they take quite a while to pin some stuff down that the rest of the franchise takes for granted.

2161

The Menagerie is largely reedited from The Cage, which we watched a while back, but don’t skip it - after spending so much time with Spock and Pike since, this episode is absolutely essential.

  • TOS    Season 1, episode 10    -    The Corbomite Maneuver 
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 6    -    Mudd's Women
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 5    -    The Enemy Within
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 1    -    The Man Trap
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 4    -    The Naked Time
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 2    -    Charlie X

Next we revisit SNW’s season 1 finale, “A Quality of Mercy”, and see how differently events play out with Kirk in command of the Enterprise.

  • TOS    Season 1, episode 14    -    Balance of Terror
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 7    -    What Are Little Girls Made of?
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 9    -    Dagger of the Mind
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 8    -    Miri
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 13    -    The Conscience of the King
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 16    -    The Galileo Seven
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 20    -    Court Martial
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 11    -    The Menagerie (Part I)
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 12    -    The Menagerie (Part II)
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 15    -    Shore Leave
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 17    -    The Squire of Gothos
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 18    -    Arena
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 27    -    The Alternative Factor
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 19    -    Tomorrow is Yesterday
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 21    -    The Return of the Archons
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 23    -    A Taste of Armageddon
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 22    -    Space Seed
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 24    -    This Side of Paradise
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 25    -    Devil in the Dark
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 26    -    Errand of Mercy
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 28    -    The City on the Edge of Forever
  • TOS    Season 1, episode 29    -    Operation: Annihilate!

2267-2268: The Trouble with Tribbles

  • TOS    Season 2, episode 7    -    Catspaw
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 9    -    Metamorphosis
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 11    -    Friday's Child
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 2    -    Who Mourns for Adonais?
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 1    -    Amok Time
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 6    -    The Doomsday Machine
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 14    -    Wolf in the Fold
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 3    -    The Changeling
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 5    -    The Apple
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 4    -    Mirror, Mirror
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 12    -    The Deadly Years
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 8    -    I, Mudd
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 15    -    The Trouble with Tribbles
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 25    -    Bread and Circuses
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 10    -    Journey to Babel
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 19    -    A Private Little War
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 16    -    The Gamesters of Triskelion
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 13    -    Obsession
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 18    -    The Immunity Syndrome
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 17    -    A Piece of the Action
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 22    -    By Any Other Name
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 20    -    Return to Tomorrow
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 21    -    Patterns of Force
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 24    -    The Ultimate Computer
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 23    -    The Omega Glory
  • TOS    Season 2, episode 26    -    Assignment: Earth

While Mirror, Mirror is the episode that first introduces the Mirror universe, we’ve already been there on Discovery. Enterprise had a two-part episode there too, actually, but that’s one of the ones we skipped for later viewing and will be arriving at shortly.

2268-2269: The Tholian Web

  • TOS    Season 3, episode 6    -    Spectre of the Gun
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 13    -    Elaan of Troyius
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 3    -    The Paradise Syndrome
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 2    -    The Enterprise Incident
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 4    -    And the Children Shall Lead
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 1    -    Spock's Brain
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 5    -    Is There No Truth in Beauty?
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 12    -    The Empath
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 8    -    For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 7    -    Day of the Dove
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 10    -    Plato's Stepchildren
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 11    -    Wink of An Eye
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 17    -    That Which Survives
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 15    -    Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 14    -    Whom Gods Destroy
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 16    -    The Mark of Gideon
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 18    -    The Lights of Zetar
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 21    -    The Cloud Minders
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 20    -    The Way to Eden
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 19    -    Requiem for Methuselah
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 22    -    The Savage Curtain
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 23    -    All Our Yesterdays
  • TOS    Season 3, episode 24    -    Turnabout Intruder

In one of the more fun examples of the shows tying together, the next three episodes we watch have a TOS episode leading into two of the Enterprise episodes we skipped, PLUS they finally explain why the Discovery detected the USS Defiant in the Mirror Universe.

  • TOS    Season 3, episode 9    -    The Tholian Web
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 18    -    In a Mirror, Darkly, Part I
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 19    -    In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II

2161

We finish Kirk's Five-Year Mission with Star Trek: The Animated Series. Is TAS in continuity? Debatable. In later years, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry liked to say it was not, but later works in the franchise certainly seemed to disagree, with Enterprise’s Vulcan arc as well as the first of the Kelvin films borrowing heavily from Yesteryear, Robert April appearing in Strange New Worlds, numerous references in Lower Decks, etc.,  so I see no reason not to consider it as canon as everything else. Besides, “La mort de l'auteur” means we don’t have to listen to Gene.

  • TAS    Season 1, episode 5    -    More Tribbles, More Troubles
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 6    -    The Survivor
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 7    -    The Infinite Vulcan
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 8    -    The Magicks of Megas-tu
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 9    -    Once Upon a Planet
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 10    -    Mudd's Passion
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 11    -    The Terratin Incident
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 12    -    The Time Trap
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 13    -    The Ambergris Element
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 14    -    The Slaver Weapon
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 15    -    The Eye of the Beholder
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 16    -    The Jihad
  • TAS    Season 2, episode 1    -    The Pirates of Orion
  • TAS    Season 2, episode 2    -    Bem
  • TAS    Season 2, episode 3    -    The Practical Joker
  • TAS    Season 2, episode 4    -    Albatross
  • TAS    Season 2, episode 5    -    How Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth
  • TAS    Season 2, episode 6    -    The Counter-Clock Incident
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 1    -    Beyond the Farthest Star
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 2    -    Yesteryear
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 3    -    One of Our Planets is Missing
  • TAS    Season 1, episode 4    -    The Lorelei Signal

2161

Movie time! Some background here. Paramount was planning on making a new network, and intended a new Star Trek series, "Star Trek Phase II", to anchor it. Scripts were written, sets were built, and actors cast. When network plans fell through, and Star Wars became a hit, they decided to take one of those scripts and streeeeeeeeeetch it out into a movie.

So…. Is it way too long for the amount of plot it has? Yes, though it has its charms. And isn’t it basically a retread of Nomad from the episode "The Changeling" anyway? It is. And hey, isn’t that the pedophile Dad from 7th Heaven? mm-hmm. Anyway, if you have access to it I recommend the Director’s Cut, in which pacing is much improved and some particularly flawed effects are redone, but either version works story-wise.

  • MOV    Star Trek: The Motion Picture

2161

Following The Motion Picture, the franchise underwent a significant transformation with the release of the next film, adopting a different style and tone that many, including the author, believe resulted in the best Star Trek movie to date.

  • MOV    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
  • MOV    Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Ephraim and Dot ’s continuity really makes no sense anywhere, but it’s cute so who cares. Anyway, this seemed the BEST place to put it.

  • SHO    Season 2, episode 4    -    Ephraim and Dot

2161

  • MOV    Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Or, to use the all-but-official secondary title, “The One With The Whales”

2161

  • MOV    Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

2161

A criminally underrated film.

  • MOV    Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Sidenote: The opening sequence of the film. Star Trek: Generations takes place this year, a few months after The Undiscovered Country. I very much do not expect people to watch things in pieces, but as there IS a clear delineation in the film, you can, optionally, watch the beginning of Generations and stop when the “78 years later” caption comes up. Or you can just not worry about it, and watch the whole film in one sitting when we reach 2371. 

2161

We now jump forward 70-odd years to see a far more established Federation, and perhaps the most popular and beloved Star Trek series of all, Star Trek - The Next Generation. That said, it is extremely rough at the outset, so you’ll need to give it some time. I promise you, the series gets a lot better later on and absolutely earns the affection it still receives to this day. 

  • TNG    Season 1, episode 9    -    The Battle
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 10    -    Hide and Q
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 11    -    Haven
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 12    -    The Big Goodbye
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 13    -    Datalore
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 14    -    Angel One
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 15    -    11001001
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 16    -    Too Short a Season
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 17    -    When The Bow Breaks
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 18    -    Home Soil
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 19    -    Coming of Age
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 20    -    Heart of Glory
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 21    -    The Arsenal of Freedom
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 22    -    Symbiosis
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 23    -    Skin of Evil
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 24    -    We'll Always Have Paris
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 25    -    Conspiracy
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 26    -    The Neutral Zone
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 1    -    Encounter at Farpoint, Part 1
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 2    -    Encounter at Farpoint, Part 2
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 3    -    The Naked Now
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 4    -    Code of Honor
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 5    -    The Last Outpost
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 6    -    Where No One Has Gone Before
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 7    -    Lonely Among Us
  • TNG    Season 1, episode 8    -    Justice

2161

This season introduces the most popular and iconic character of the entire Star Trek franchise: Riker’s Beard. More seriously, due to a writers strike this year the producers had to dip into episodes written for the early 70’s Phase II series that was never made. Will Riker and Troi were ALWAYS a revamp of the original plans for Will Decker and Ilia, but the season opener was literally written in the 70s with Ilia in the place of Troi.

The series doesn’t truly find its footing until Season 3, but “The Measure of a Man” is widely considered TNG’s first “great” episode, a sign of many more to come. 

  • TNG    Season 2, episode 9    -    The Measure of a Man
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 10    -    The Dauphin
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 11    -    Contagion
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 12    -    The Royale
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 13    -    Time Squared
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 14    -    The Icarus Factor
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 15    -    Pen Pals
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 16    -    Q Who?
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 17    -    The Samaritan Snare
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 18    -    Up the Long Ladder
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 19    -    Manhunt
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 20    -    The Emissary
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 21    -    Peak Performance
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 22    -    Shades of Gray
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 1    -    The Child
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 2    -    Where Silence Has Lease
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 3    -    Elementary, Dear Data
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 4    -    The Outrageous Okona
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 5    -    Loud as a Whisper
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 6    -    The Schizoid Man
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 7    -    Unnatural Selection
  • TNG    Season 2, episode 8    -    A Matter of Honor

2161

  • TNG    Season 3, episode 1    -    Evolution
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 2    -    The Ensigns of Command
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 3    -    The Survivors
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 4    -    Who Watches the Watchers?
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 5    -    The Bonding
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 6    -    Booby Trap
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 7    -    The Enemy
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 8    -    The Price
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 9    -    The Vengeance Factor
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 10    -    The Defector
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 11    -    The Hunted
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 12    -    A Matter of Perspective
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 13    -    The High Ground
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 14    -    Deja Q
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 15    -    Yesterday's Enterprise
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 16    -    The Offspring
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 17    -    Sins of the Father
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 18    -    Allegiance
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 19    -    Captain's Holiday
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 20    -    Tin Man
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 21    -    Hollow Pursuits
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 22    -    The Most Toys
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 23    -    Sarek
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 24    -    Menage a Troi
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 25    -    Transfigurations
  • TNG    Season 3, episode 26    -    The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1

2161

  • TNG    Season 4, episode 1    -    The Best of Both Worlds, Part 2
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 2    -    Family
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 3    -    Brothers
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 4    -    Suddenly Human
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 5    -    Remember Me
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 6    -    Legacy
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 7    -    Reunion
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 8    -    Future Imperfect
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 9    -    Final Mission
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 10    -    The Loss
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 11    -    Data's Day
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 12    -    The Wounded
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 13    -    Clues
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 14    -    Devil's Due
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 15    -    First Contact
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 16    -    Galaxy's Child
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 17    -    Night Terrors
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 18    -    Identity Crisis
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 19    -    The Nth Degree
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 20    -    Qpid
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 21    -    The Drumhead
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 22    -    Half a Life
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 23    -    The Host
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 24    -    The Mind's Eye
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 25    -    In Theory
  • TNG    Season 4, episode 26    -    Redemption, Part 1

2161

  • TNG    Season 5, episode 1    -    Redemption, Part 2
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 2    -    Darmok
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 3    -    Ensign Ro
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 4    -    Silicon Avatar
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 5    -    Disaster
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 6    -    The Game
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 7    -    Unification I
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 8    -    Unification II
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 9    -    A Matter of Time
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 10    -    New Ground
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 11    -    Hero Worship
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 12    -    Violations
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 13    -    The Masterpiece Society
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 14    -    Conundrum
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 15    -    Power Play
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 16    -    Ethics
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 17    -    The Outcast
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 18    -    Cause and Effect
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 19    -    The First Duty
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 20    -    Cost of Living
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 21    -    The Perfect Mate
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 22    -    Imaginary Friend
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 23    -    I, Borg
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 24    -    The Next Phase
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 25    -    The Inner Light
  • TNG    Season 5, episode 26    -    Time's Arrow, Part 1

2369a - Chain of Command, Part 2

2369, Part 1

We now reach my personal favorite series: Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, which will eventually feature Star Trek’s first significant attempt at serialized storytelling. Like other shows in the franchise, it has a slow start, but once it gets going it’s a real joy. To stay in the correct chronological order, we’ll be bouncing between TNG and DS9, and later DS9 and Voyager, with occasional minor tweaks to avoid interrupting story arcs in progress. 

  • TNG    Season 6, episode 1    -    Time's Arrow, Part 2
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 2    -    Realm of Fear
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 3    -    Man of the People
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 4    -    Relics
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 5    -    Schisms
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 6    -    True-Q
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 7    -    Rascals
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 8    -    A Fistful of Datas
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 9    -    The Quality of Life
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 10    -    Chain of Command, Part 1
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 11    -    Chain of Command, Part 2
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 1    -    Emissary, Part 1
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 2    -    Emissary, Part 2
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 3    -    Past Prologue
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 4    -    A Man Alone
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 5    -    Babel
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 12    -    Ship in a Bottle
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 13    -    Aquiel

2369b - Duet

2369, Part 2

star trek historical timeline

Pay attention to this next episode - it will be important (much, much) later.

  • DS9    Season 1, episode 6    -    Captive Pursuit
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 7    -    Q-Less
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 14    -    Face of the Enemy
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 8    -    Dax
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 15    -    Tapestry
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 9    -    The Passenger
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 16    -    Birthright, Part 1
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 17    -    Birthright, Part 2
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 10    -    Move Along Home
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 11    -    The Nagus
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 18    -    Starship Mine
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 19    -    Lessons
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 12    -    Vortex
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 13    -    Battle Lines
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 14    -    The Storyteller
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 20    -    The Chase
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 21    -    Frame of Mind
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 22    -    Suspicions
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 15    -    Progress
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 23    -    Rightful Heir
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 16    -    If Wishes Were Horses
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 24    -    Second Chances
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 17    -    Dramatis Personae
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 18    -    The Forsaken
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 19    -    Duet
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 25    -    Timescape
  • DS9    Season 1, episode 20    -    In the Hands of the Prophets
  • TNG    Season 6, episode 26    -    Descent, Part 1

2370a - The Circle

2370, Part 1

By the end of this year we’ll have bid farewell to The Next Generation with the fantastic series finale “All Good Things,” we’ll have finally watched Enterprise’s far less popular finale “These are the Voyages…”, and we will have been introduced to The Dominion, the major story driver for most of Deep Space Nine. 

  • TNG    Season 7, episode 5    -    Interface
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 6    -    Phantasms
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 6    -    Melora
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 7    -    Dark Page
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 7    -    Rules of Acquisition
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 8    -    Necessary Evil
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 8    -    Attached
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 9    -    Force of Nature
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 9    -    Second Sight
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 10    -    Sanctuary
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 10    -    Parallels
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 11    -    Rivals
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 12    -    The Alternate
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 11    -    Inheritance
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 12    -    Homeward
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 13    -    The Pegasus
  • ENT    Season 4, episode 22    -    These Are the Voyages...
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 1    -    Descent, Part 2
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 1    -    The Homecoming
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 2    -    The Circle
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 3    -    The Siege
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 2    -    Liaisons
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 3    -    Gambit, Part 1
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 4    -    Gambit, Part 2
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 4    -    Cardassians
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 5    -    Invasive Procedures

2370b - All Good Things, Part 2

2370, Part 2

  • DS9    Season 2, episode 13    -    Armageddon Game
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 14    -    Sub Rosa
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 15    -    Lower Decks
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 14    -    Paradise
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 15    -    Whispers
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 16    -    Shadowplay
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 16    -    Thine Own Self
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 17    -    Masks
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 17    -    Playing God
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 18    -    Eye of the Beholder
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 18    -    Profit and Loss
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 19    -    Genesis
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 19    -    Blood Oath
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 20    -    Journey's End
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 20    -    The Maquis, Part 1
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 21    -    The Maquis, Part 2
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 21    -    Firstborn
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 22    -    Bloodlines
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 22    -    The Wire
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 23    -    Emergence
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 23    -    Crossover
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 24    -    Preemptive Strike
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 24    -    The Collaborator
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 25    -    Tribunal
  • DS9    Season 2, episode 26    -    The Jem’Hadar
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 25    -    All Good Things, Part 1
  • TNG    Season 7, episode 26    -    All Good Things, Part 2

2371a - Past Tense, Part 2

2371, Part 1

star trek historical timeline

Like Phase II was intended to do, and Discovery does again a few decades later, Star Trek Voyager is launched as the centerpiece of a new network: the short-lived UPN, home of Shasta McNasty and The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfieffer. Note that Voyager episode orders, particularly in season two, jump around a bit due to some production weirdness.

  • DS9    Season 3, episode 8    -    Meridian
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 3    -    Parallax
  • MOV    Star Trek: Generations
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 9    -    Defiant
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 10    -    Fascination
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 11    -    Past Tense, Part 1
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 12    -    Past Tense, Part 2
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 4    -    Time and Again
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 13    -    Life Support
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 14    -    Heart of Stone
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 5    -    Phage
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 15    -    Destiny
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 6    -    The Cloud
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 16    -    Prophet Motive
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 7    -    Eye of the Needle
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 17    -    Visionary
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 8    -    Ex Post Facto
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 1    -    The Search, Part 1
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 2    -    The Search, Part 2
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 3    -    The House of Quark
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 4    -    Equilibrium
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 5    -    Second Skin
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 6    -    The Abandoned
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 7    -    Civil Defense
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 1    -    Caretaker, Part 1
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 2    -    Caretaker, Part 2

2371a - Jetrel

2371, Part 2

star trek historical timeline

  • VOY    Season 1, episode 9    -    Emanations
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 10    -    Prime Factors
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 18    -    Distant Voices
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 11    -    State of Flux
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 19    -    Through the Looking Glass
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 12    -    Heroes and Demons
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 20    -    Improbable Cause
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 21    -    The Die is Cast
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 13    -    Cathexis
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 22    -    Explorers
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 14    -    Faces
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 23    -    Family Business
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 15    -    Jetrel
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 24    -    Shakaar
  • VOY    Season 1, episode 16    -    Learning Curve
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 3    -    Projections
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 4    -    Elogium
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 25    -    Facets
  • DS9    Season 3, episode 26    -    The Adversary
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 6    -    Twisted
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 1    -    The 37’s

2372a - The Visitor

2372, Part 1

  • VOY    Season 2, episode 2    -    Initiations
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 5    -    Non Sequitur
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 1    -    The Way of the Warrior, Part 1
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 2    -    The Way of the Warrior, Part 2
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 3    -    The Visitor
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 4    -    Hippocratic Oath
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 7    -    Parturition
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 5    -    Indiscretion
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 8    -    Persistence of Vision
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 9    -    Tattoo
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 10    -    Cold Fire
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 6    -    Rejoined
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 11    -    Maneuvers
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 7    -    Starship Down
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 8    -    Little Green Men
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 9    -    The Sword of Kahless
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 12    -    Resistance
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 10    -    Our Man Bashir
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 11    -    Homefront
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 12    -    Paradise Lost
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 13    -    Prototype
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 18    -    Death Wish
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 14    -    Alliances
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 13    -    Crossfire
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 15    -    Threshold
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 14    -    Return to Grace

2372b - Tuvix

2372, Part 2

  • VOY    Season 2, episode 16    -    Meld
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 17    -    Dreadnought
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 19    -    Lifesigns
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 20    -    Investigations
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 21    -    Deadlock
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 15    -    Sons of Mogh
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 16    -    Bar Association
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 17    -    Accession
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 22    -    Innocence
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 18    -    Rules of Engagement
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 19    -    Hard Time
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 20    -    Shattered Mirror
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 23    -    The Thaw
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 21    -    The Muse
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 24    -    Tuvix
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 22    -    For the Cause
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 25    -    Resolutions
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 23    -    To the Death
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 24    -    The Quickening
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 25    -    Body Parts
  • DS9    Season 4, episode 26    -    Broken Link
  • VOY    Season 2, episode 26    -    Basics, Part 1

2373a - Flashback

2373, Part 1

  • VOY    Season 3, episode 8    -    Future's End, Part 1
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 9    -    Future's End, Part 2
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 7    -    Let He Who is Without Sin
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 8    -    Things Past
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 10    -    Warlord
  • MOV    Star Trek: First Contact
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 1    -    Basics, Part 2
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 1    -    Apocalypse Rising
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 2    -    The Ship
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 7    -    Sacred Ground
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 5    -    False Profits
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 2    -    Flashback
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 3    -    The Chute
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 6    -    Remember
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 4    -    The Swarm
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 3    -    Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 4    -    Nor the Battle to the Strong
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 5    -    The Assignment
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 6    -    Trials and Tribble-ations

Only took 222 years, but after this next episode, we’ll have completed all of Star Trek Enterprise.

  • ENT    Season 2, episode 23    -    Regeneration
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 9    -    The Ascent
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 11    -    The Q and the Grey
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 10    -    Rapture
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 11    -    The Darkness and the Light
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 12    -    Macrocosm
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 13    -    Fair Trade

2373b - Call to Arms

2373, Part 2

  • VOY    Season 3, episode 14    -    Alter Ego
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 12    -    The Begotten
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 13    -    For the Uniform
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 15    -    Coda
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 16    -    Blood Fever
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 14    -    In Purgatory's Shadow
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 15    -    By Inferno's Light
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 17    -    Unity
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 18    -    Darkling
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 16    -    Doctor Bashir, I Presume
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 19    -    Rise
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 17    -    A Simple Investigation
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 18    -    Business as Usual
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 19    -    Ties of Blood and Water
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 20    -    Favorite Son
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 20    -    Ferengi Love Songs
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 21    -    Soldiers of the Empire
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 22    -    Children of Time
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 21    -    Before and After
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 22    -    Real Life
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 23    -    Distant Origin
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 24    -    Displaced
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 23    -    Blaze of Glory
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 25    -    Worst Case Scenario
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 24    -    Empok Nor
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 25    -    In the Cards
  • DS9    Season 5, episode 26    -    Call to Arms
  • VOY    Season 3, episode 26    -    Scorpion, Part 1

2374a - Year of Hell, Part 2

2374, Part 1

Voyager gets a much needed shot in the arm with the introduction of Seven of Nine, and Deep Space Nine delivers a great season as the Dominion War arc reaches full swing. 

  • DS9    Season 6, episode 6    -    Sacrifice of Angels
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 6    -    The Raven
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 7    -    Scientific Method
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 7    -    You are Cordially Invited
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 8    -    Year of Hell, Part 1
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 9    -    Year of Hell, Part 2
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 8    -    Resurrection
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 10    -    Random Thoughts
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 9    -    Statistical Probabilities
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 11    -    Concerning Flight
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 10    -    The Magnificent Ferengi
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 11    -    Waltz
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 12    -    Mortal Coil
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 14    -    Message in a Bottle
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 1    -    Scorpion, Part 2
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 2    -    The Gift
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 3    -    Day of Honor
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 4    -    Nemesis
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 5    -    Revulsion
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 1    -    A Time to Stand
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 2    -    Rocks and Shoals
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 3    -    Sons and Daughters
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 4    -    Behind the Lines
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 5    -    Favor the Bold

2374b - In the Pale Moonlight

2374, Part 2

  • VOY    Season 4, episode 13    -    Waking Moments
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 12    -    Who Mourns for Morn?
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 13    -    Far Beyond the Stars
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 14    -    One Little Ship
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 15    -    Hunters
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 15    -    Honor Among Thieves
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 16    -    Change of Heart
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 16    -    Prey
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 17    -    Retrospect
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 18    -    The Killing Game, Part 1
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 19    -    The Killing Game, Part 2
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 17    -    Wrongs Darker than Death or Night
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 18    -    Inquisition
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 19    -    In the Pale Moonlight
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 20    -    Vis a Vis
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 21    -    The Omega Directive
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 20    -    His Way
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 22    -    Unforgettable
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 21    -    The Reckoning
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 22    -    Valiant

We are skipping Voyager episode 23 (“Living Witness”) for now, and will be watching it later.

  • VOY    Season 4, episode 24    -    Demon
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 23    -    Profit and Lace
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 25    -    One
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 24    -    Time's Orphan
  • VOY    Season 4, episode 26    -    Hope and Fear
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 25    -    The Sound of her Voice
  • DS9    Season 6, episode 26    -    Tears of the Prophets

2375a - Bride of Chaotica

2375, Part 1

  • VOY    Season 5, episode 1    -    Night
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 2    -    Drone
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 3    -    Extreme Risk
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 4    -    In the Flesh
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 5    -    Once Upon a Time
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 8    -    Nothing Human
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 6    -    Timeless
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 1    -    Image in the Sand
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 2    -    Shadows and Symbols
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 3    -    Afterimage
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 4    -    Take Me Out to the Holosuite
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 5    -    Chrysalis
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 6    -    Treachery, Faith, and the Great River
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 7    -    Once More Unto the Breach
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 8    -    The Siege of AR-558
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 9    -    Thirty Days
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 9    -    Covenant
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 7    -    Infinite Regress
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 10    -    Counterpoint
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 10    -    It's Only a Paper Moon

There’s no place where Insurrection’s references to the Dominion War and the presence of Worf really make perfect sense, but this is probably the closest to working. I’m not going to go too nuts about it.

  • MOV    Star Trek: Insurrection
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 11    -    Prodigal Daughter
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 11    -    Latent Image
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 12    -    Bride of Chaotica
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 12    -    The Emperor's New Cloak
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 13    -    Gravity
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 13    -    Field of Fire
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 14    -    Bliss
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 14    -    Chimera
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 17    -    The Disease
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 15    -    Badda-Bing Badda-Bang
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 16    -    Inter Arma Silent Leges

2375b - What You Leave Behind, Part 2

2375, Part 2

  • VOY    Season 5, episode 18    -    Course: Oblivion
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 15    -    Dark Frontier, Part 1
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 16    -    Dark Frontier, Part 2
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 19    -    The Fight
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 20    -    Think Tank
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 17    -    Penumbra
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 18    -    'Til Death Do Us Part
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 19    -    Strange Bedfellows
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 20    -    The Changing Face of Evil
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 21    -    When it Rains
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 22    -    Tacking into the Wind
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 23    -    Extreme Measures
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 24    -    The Dogs of War

Farewell, DS9. I’ll always love you best. 

  • DS9    Season 7, episode 25    -    What You Leave Behind, Part 1
  • DS9    Season 7, episode 26    -    What You Leave Behind, Part 2
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 21    -    Juggernaut
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 22    -    Someone to Watch Over Me
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 23    -    11:59
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 24    -    Relativity
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 25    -    Warhead
  • VOY    Season 5, episode 26    -    Equinox, Part 1

2161

  • VOY    Season 6, episode 1    -    Equinox, Part 2
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 2    -    Survival Instinct
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 3    -    Barge of the Dead
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 4    -    Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 7    -    Dragon's Teeth
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 5    -    Alice
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 6    -    Riddles
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 8    -    One Small Step
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 9    -    The Voyager Conspiracy
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 10    -    Pathfinder
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 11    -    Fair Haven
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 15    -    Tsunkatse
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 12    -    Blink of an Eye
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 13    -    Virtuoso
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 16    -    Collective
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 14    -    Memorial
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 17    -    Spirit Folk
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 18    -    Ashes to Ashes
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 19    -    Child's Play
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 20    -    Good Shepherd
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 23    -    Fury
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 21    -    Live Fast and Prosper
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 24    -    Life Line
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 22    -    Muse
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 25    -    The Haunting of Deck Twelve
  • VOY    Season 6, episode 26    -    Unimatrix Zero, Part 1

2161

  • VOY    Season 7, episode 1    -    Unimatrix Zero, Part 2
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 3    -    Drive
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 4    -    Repression
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 2    -    Imperfection
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 5    -    Critical Care
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 6    -    Inside Man
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 7    -    Body and Soul
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 8    -    Nightingale
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 9    -    Flesh and Blood, Part 1
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 10    -    Flesh and Blood, Part 2
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 11    -    Shattered
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 12    -    Lineage
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 13    -    Repentance
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 14    -    Prophesy
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 15    -    The Void
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 16    -    Workforce, Part 1
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 17    -    Workforce, Part 2

2161

  • VOY    Season 7, episode 18    -    Human Error
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 19    -    Q2
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 20    -    Author, Author
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 21    -    Friendship One
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 22    -    Natural Law
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 23    -    Homestead
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 24    -    Renaissance Man
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 25    -    Endgame, Part 1
  • VOY    Season 7, episode 26    -    Endgame, Part 2

2379 - Nemesis

  • MOV    -    Star Trek: Nemesis

2161

Star Trek returns to animation with its ninth series, and first all-out comedy, Star Trek: Lower Decks, aimed towards a more adult audience than The Animated Series or Prodigy.

  • LDS    Season 1, episode 1    -    Second Contact
  • LDS    Season 1, episode 2    -    Envoys
  • LDS    Season 1, episode 3    -    Temporal Edict
  • LDS    Season 1, episode 4    -    Moist Vessel
  • LDS    Season 1, episode 5    -    Cupid’s Errant Arrow
  • LDS    Season 1, episode 6    -    Terminal Provocations
  • LDS    Season 1, episode 7    -    Much Ado About Boimler
  • LDS    Season 1, episode 8    -    Veritas
  • LDS    Season 1, episode 9    -    Crisis Point
  • LDS    Season 1, episode 10    -    No Small Parts

2381a - wej Duj

2381, Part 1

  • LDS    Season 3, episode 3    -    Mining The Mind's Mines
  • LDS    Season 3, episode 4    -    Room for Growth
  • LDS    Season 3, episode 5    -    Reflections
  • LDS    Season 3, episode 6    -    Hear All, Trust Nothing
  • LDS    Season 2, episode 1    -    Strange Energies
  • LDS    Season 2, episode 2    -    Kayshon, His Eyes Open
  • LDS    Season 2, episode 3    -    We’ll Always Have Tom Paris
  • LDS    Season 2, episode 4    -    Mugato, Gumato
  • LDS    Season 2, episode 5    -    An Embarrassment of Dooplers
  • LDS    Season 2, episode 6    -    The Spy Humongous
  • LDS    Season 2, episode 7    -    Where Pleasant Fountains Lie
  • LDS    Season 2, episode 8    -    I, Excretes
  • LDS    Season 2, episode 9    -    wej Duj
  • LDS    Season 2, episode 10    -    First First Contact
  • LDS    Season 3, episode 1    -    Grounded
  • LDS    Season 3, episode 2    -    The Least Dangerous Game

We now travel back for our last Strange New Worlds episode, which is ABSOLUTELY a delight.

  • SNW    Season 2, episode 7    -    Those Old Scientists
  • LDS    Season 3, episode 7    -    A Mathematically Perfect Redemption
  • LDS    Season 3, episode 8    -    Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus
  • LDS    Season 3, episode 9    -    Trusted Sources
  • LDS    Season 3, episode 10    -    The Stars at Night

2381b - Old Friends, New Planets

2381, Part 2

  • LDS    Season 4, episode 1    -    Twovix
  • LDS    Season 4, episode 2    -    I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee
  • LDS    Season 4, episode 3    -    In the Cradle of Vexilon
  • LDS    Season 4, episode 4    -    Something Borrowed, Something Green
  • LDS    Season 4, episode 5    -    Empathological Fallacies
  • LDS    Season 4, episode 6    -    Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place
  • LDS    Season 4, episode 7    -    A Few Badgeys More
  • LDS    Season 4, episode 8    -    Caves
  • LDS    Season 4, episode 9    -    The Inner Fight
  • LDS    Season 4, episode 10    -    Old Friends, New Planets

2161

The first Star Trek since The Animated Series to be geared explicitly for kids, Star Trek: Prodigy takes place on the border of the Delta Quadrant last seen in Voyager, and features the return of several characters from that series. Don’t dismiss this as “just a kids show” though — it’s quite complex, quite good, and quite Star Trek.

  • PRO    Season 1, episode 1    -    Lost & Found, Part 1
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 2    -    Lost & Found, Part 2
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 3    -    Starstruck
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 4    -    Dream Catcher
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 5    -    Terror Firma
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 6    -    Kobayashi
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 7    -    First Con-tact
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 8    -    Time Amok
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 9    -    A Moral Star
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 10    -    A Moral Star, Part Two
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 11    -    Asylum
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 12    -    Let Sleeping Borg Lie
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 13    -    All the World’s a Stage
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 14    -   Crossroads
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 15    -    Masquerade
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 16    -    Preludes
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 17    -    Ghost in the Machine
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 18    -    Mindwalk
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 19    -    Supernova, Part 1
  • PRO    Season 1, episode 20    -    Supernova, Part 2

2384 - Into the Breach

As of this update, no episodes of this season have aired in a language I speak. It is possible that when they are viewed, I will wish to update their placement in this list. The below is tentative.

Also note, the listed titles are derived from their French-language titles, and their eventual English titles may vary.

  • PRO    Season 2, episode 7    -    The Race
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 8    -    Veritas?
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 9    -    The Time Devouring Scavengers, Part 1
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 10    -    The Time Devouring Scavengers, Part 2
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 11    -    The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 1
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 12    -    The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 2
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 13    -    A Tribble Called Bridule
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 14    -   The Mirror Universe
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 15    -    The Ascent, Part 1
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 16    -    The Ascent, Part 2
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 17    -    On the Brink
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 18    -    Behind Enemy Lines
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 19    -    Ouroboros, Part 1
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 20    -     Ouroboros , Part 2
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 1    -    Into the Breach, Part 1
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 2    -    Into the Breach, Part 2
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 3    -    Who Saves the Saviors?
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 4    -    Temporal Mechanics 101
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 5    -    The Mystery Spiral
  • PRO    Season 2, episode 6    -    Imposter Syndrome

2161

The events of this Short Trek set the events of Star Trek - Picard, which we’ll be coming to shortly, in motion.

  • SHO    Season 2, episode 6    -    Children of Mars

2387 - Romulan Supernova

Okay. Deep breath. In 2387 the Romulan sun goes supernova, devastating the Romulan empire. A failed attempt by Starfleet to help stop this accidentally sends the Romulan mining vessel Narada back to 2233, creating an alternate reality  known as the “Kelvin Universe” or “Kelvinverse.” We'll be watching the three movies set in this universe next. It's essential to note that this new timeline DOES NOT replace the original “Prime” timeline, which still exists as it always has and to which we will be returning shortly.

2161

2233 - (Kelvinverse)

The USS Kelvin is destroyed by the Narada, newly arrived from the Prime Universe 2387. This begins the divergence from the Prime timeline.

2161

2258 - (Kelvinverse)

Too action-oriented for some, and plot-holes galore, 2009’s “Star Trek” is not what I would want Star Trek to be all the time, but is a quite fun alternate take on the original series, with some great acting and effects. Don’t overthink the chronology and details of this batch of movies though, or you’ll start seeing all kinds of things that make no sense.

  • MOV    Star Trek (2009)

2161

2259 - (Kelvinverse)

  • MOV    Star Trek Into Darkness

2161

2263 - (Kelvinverse)

  • MOV    Star Trek Beyond

This film, while a solid improvement on Into Darkness, did not perform to expectations, meaning that the long-promised fourth film has been in-and-out of production for years, and I cannot say if we’ll ever see the Kelvin timeline again.

Therefore, we now return to the Prime timeline, already in progress.

2161

  • PIC    Season 1, episode 1    -    Remembrance
  • PIC    Season 1, episode 2    -    Maps and Legends
  • PIC    Season 1, episode 3    -    The End is the Beginning
  • PIC    Season 1, episode 4    -    Absolute Candor
  • PIC    Season 1, episode 5    -    Stardust City Rag
  • PIC    Season 1, episode 6    -    The Impossible Box
  • PIC    Season 1, episode 7    -    Nepenthe
  • PIC    Season 1, episode 8    -    Broken Pieces
  • PIC    Season 1, episode 9    -    Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1
  • PIC    Season 1, episode 10    -    Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2

2161

I gotta say, I strongly feel the Picard seasons all would make much more sense if you assume A LOT more time takes place between them than what the official sources say, but it is what it is.

  • PIC    Season 2, episode 1    -    The Star Gazer
  • PIC    Season 2, episode 2    -    Penance
  • PIC    Season 2, episode 3    -    Assimilation
  • PIC    Season 2, episode 4    -    Watcher
  • PIC    Season 2, episode 5    -    Fly Me to the Moon
  • PIC    Season 2, episode 6    -    Two of One
  • PIC    Season 2, episode 7    -    Monsters
  • PIC    Season 2, episode 8    -    Mercy
  • PIC    Season 2, episode 9    -    Hide and Seek
  • PIC    Season 2, episode 10    -    Farewell
  • PIC    Season 3, episode 1    -    The Next Generation
  • PIC    Season 3, episode 2    -    Disengage
  • PIC    Season 3, episode 3    -    Seventeen Seconds
  • PIC    Season 3, episode 4    -    No Win Scenario 
  • PIC    Season 3, episode 5    -    Imposters
  • PIC    Season 3, episode 6    -    The Bounty
  • PIC    Season 3, episode 7    -    Dominion
  • PIC    Season 3, episode 8    -    Surrender
  • PIC    Season 3, episode 9    -    Vox
  • PIC    Season 3, episode 10    -    The Last Generation

2161

As you watch this you’ll see why the exact placement can be debatable, but 3074ish seemed best. With this episode, we finish Star Trek: Voyager. Keep in mind that this episode takes place entirely in the Delta quadrant, far away from most of the events of the franchise.

  • VOY    Season 4, episode 23    -    Living Witness

2161

Several hundred years later, we rejoin Star Trek: Discovery, already in progress, to discover what has happened in the interim.

  • DIS    Season 3, episode 1    -    That Hope is You, Part 1

2161

  • DIS    Season 3, episode 2    -    Far From Home
  • DIS    Season 3, episode 3    -    People of Earth
  • DIS    Season 3, episode 4    -    Forget Me Not
  • DIS    Season 3, episode 5    -    Die Trying
  • DIS    Season 3, episode 6    -    Scavengers
  • DIS    Season 3, episode 7    -    Unification III
  • DIS    Season 3, episode 8    -    The Sanctuary
  • DIS    Season 3, episode 9    -    Terra Firma, Part 1
  • DIS    Season 3, episode 10    -    Terra Firma, Part 2
  • DIS    Season 3, episode 11    -    Su’Kal
  • DIS    Season 3, episode 12    -    There is a Tide…
  • DIS    Season 3, episode 13    -    That Hope is You, Part 2

2161

  • DIS    Season 4, episode 1    -    Kobayashi Maru
  • DIS    Season 4, episode 2    -    Anomaly
  • DIS    Season 4, episode 3    -    Choose to Live
  • DIS    Season 4, episode 4    -    All is Possible
  • DIS    Season 4, episode 5    -    The Examples
  • DIS    Season 4, episode 6    -    Stormy Weather
  • DIS    Season 4, episode 7    -    …But to Connect
  • DIS    Season 4, episode 8    -    All In
  • DIS    Season 4, episode 9    -    Rubicon
  • DIS    Season 4, episode 10    -    The Galactic Barrier
  • DIS    Season 4, episode 11    -    Rosetta
  • DIS    Season 4, episode 12    -    Species Ten-C
  • DIS    Season 4, episode 13    -    Coming Home

2161

As of this update, only two episodes of this season have aired. It is possible that when they are viewed, I will wish to update their placement in this list. The below is tentative.

  • DIS    Season 5, episode 1    -    Red Directive
  • DIS    Season 5, episode 2    -    Under the Twin Moons
  • DIS    Season 5, episode 3    -    Jinaal
  • DIS    Season 5, episode 4    -    Face the Strange
  • DIS    Season 5, episode 5    -    Mirrors
  • DIS    Season 5, episode 6    -    Whistlespeak
  • DIS    Season 5, episode 7    -    Erigah
  • DIS    Season 5, episode 8    -    Labyrinths
  • DIS    Season 5, episode 9    -    Lagrange Point
  • DIS    Season 5, episode 10    -    Life, Itself

Far Future:

2161

Calypso is intentionally somewhat mysterious, and we have yet to learn exactly how it fits into the Star Trek timeline, but for now it seems to be the final part of our Star Trek Viewing Guide. There are still questions here. I expect Disco to answer them in Season 5, which will be the final season.

  • SHO    Season 1, episode 2    -    Calypso

Click here to read about my methodology and intentions with this list.

If you use or have an opinion on this viewing order, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts!

Star Trek Timeline

A holistic view of the chronological timeline of events in the Star Trek universe(s).

This is a work in progress. Content is being added and refined. More features coming as well. (filtering, sorting, etc.) Content last updated on

Have a suggestion, addition, or correction? Send an email!

By Significance

  • The Original Series
  • The Animated Series
  • The Next Generation
  • Deep Space Nine
  • Short Treks
  • Lower Decks
  • Strange New Worlds

This is a fan-created site dedicated to providing a holistic view of the chronological timeline of events in the Star Trek universe(s). Most material is sourced from the Memory Alpha fandom wiki site .

TrekTimeline.com is not endorsed, sponsored, or affiliated with CBS Studios Inc. or the "Star Trek" franchise. The Star Trek trademarks, logos, and related names are owned by CBS Studios Inc., and are used under "fair use" guidelines. The content of this site is released under the Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial" license version 4.0.

Event Summary

  • Entertainment
  • How <i>Picard</i> Fits Into the <i>Star Trek</i> Timeline

How Picard Fits Into the Star Trek Timeline

I t’s been 26 long years since Star Trek: The Next Generation graced the small screen. But beginning Jan. 23, a new series centered around that show’s captain, Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), will “boldly go” to the network’s streaming service, CBS All Access. Star Trek: Picard is about our titular captain’s life many years after his last fateful mission for Starfleet.

But how does Picard fit into the larger Star Trek timeline? The CBS series is set where no Trek has gone before, well past the events of TV’s Star Trek: Voyager and the last film of the Picard era, Star Trek: Nemesis. Many fan favorite characters are expected to return, including Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Seven-of-Nine (Jeri Ryan).

For Trek nerds out there, this means Picard takes place in the “prime” timeline, which is where each of the television series and the original films live. In 2009, J.J. Abrams rebooted the series with the film Star Trek, creating a new timeline for the already confusing Trek universe. In the film, a bad guy travels back in time and destroys the USS Kelvin, killing Captain Kirk’s father, George Kirk, in the process. All three of J.J. Abrams’ movies take place in this alternate timeline called the “Kelvin Timeline,” after the annihilated ship.

To familiarize yourself with the Trek universe, here are the two timelines:

Prime Timeline

Cast Portrait From 'Star Trek: Enterprise'

Star Trek: Enterprise (2151-2161)

Airdate: 2001-2005

Plot: Set 100 years before the Enterprise ‘s mission in the original Star Trek , this series traces the adventures of the first Warp 4 capable Starfleet ship, also called Enterprise . Scott Bakula starred as the human captain Jonathan Archer, and Jolene Blalock as the Vulcan officer T’Pol.

Yeoh and Martin-Green kick off the new Star Trek with an action-packed episode on Sept. 24

Star Trek Discovery (2255)

Airdate: 2017-

Plot: Sonequa Martin-Green plays officer Michael Burnham, a human who was raised by Spock’s parents, Amanda and Sarek. Burnham has suppressed her human tendencies in order to assimilate into the hyper-logical Vulcan society but tries to reconnect with her emotional side when she serves Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) and then Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs).

Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock and William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek.

Star Trek (2265-2269)

Airdate: 1966-1969

Plot: The original Star Trek series created by Gene Roddenberry featured Captain James Kirk (William Shatner), First Officer Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ), Officer Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Montgomery “Scotty” Scott (James Doohan), Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) and the other Starfleet members on a mission of exploration and self-improvement. One of the most diverse shows on television at the time, Star Trek ran for three seasons and inspired future space sagas like Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica .

CBS's "Star Trek: The Animated Series"

Star Trek: The Animated Series (2269-2270)

Airdate: 1973-1974

Plot: After the original series went off the air, Roddenberry created an animated series that continued the stories of Star Trek and reunited much of the same cast to do voice work for cartoon versions of their characters.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Original Star Trek movies (2273-2293)

Airdate: 1979-1991

Plot: Roddenberry leveraged the massive success of the syndicated series into a number of feature films starring Shatner and Nimoy. Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Star Trek V: The Finale Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country continued established storylines.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation (2364-2370)

Airdate: 1987-1994

Plot: Set 100 years after the events of the original Star Trek , this series followed Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew (Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton and Marina Sirtis, among them) on the fifth iteration of the Enterprise , USS Enterprise-D .

star trek historical timeline

Next Generation Movies (2293-2379)

Airdate: 1994-2002

Plot: In Star Trek: Generations (1994), Captain Picard teams up with the once-presumed-dead Captain Kirk. The story unites the casts from the two Star Trek series at the time, effectively passing the baton from Shatner to Stewart. The Next Generation cast went on to star in three more movies, sans the original cast: Star Trek: First Contact , Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis .

Star Trek:Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2369-2375)

Airdate: 1993-1999

Plot: Set on a space station rather than a starship, Deep Space Nine focuses on the adventures of the people charged with guarding the opening to a wormhole at the end of the galaxy. Deep Space Nine was helmed by Trek’ s first black captain, Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks). It was also the first Trek series created without Roddenberry, who gave the concept his approval before he passed away in 1991.

Cast of Star trek Voyager, first season, from left: Neelix (Ethan Phillips), Chakotay (Robert Beltran), Harry S.L. Kim (Garrett Wang), Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), Kes (Jennifer Lien), Thomas Eugene Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill), Tuvok (Tim Russ), "The Doctor" (Robert Picardo), B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson), 1995.

Star Trek: Voyager (2371-2378)

Airdate: 1995-2001

Plot: After the ship Voyager gets stranded in the Delta Quadrant (the far side of the Milky Way galaxy) while searching for a renegade ship, they must make the 75-year journey home. Voyager was fronted by Trek’ s first female captain, Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew).

Star Trek: Picard (2399-?)

Airdate: 2020 — ? (A second season is already in the works)

Plot: Many years after a daring mission to save a dying planet, Captain Picard — now an Admiral — has left Starfleet (or, more accurately, Starfleet has left him). But when a mysterious young woman with a potential connection to a certain beloved android shows up at his doorstep, it sets in motion events that lead Picard back into space — albeit with a crew that’s more swashbuckler than Starfleet.

Kelvin Timeline

star trek historical timeline

Star Trek (2233-2258)

Release date: 2009

Plot: A bad guy named Nero (Eric Bana), angry that his planet is destroyed in the future, travels back in time and kills Kirk’s father (in 2233). He then hangs out for a long time to destroy Vulcan (in 2258) in front of old Spock who has also traveled back in time (and is played by Leonard Nimoy) because Spock failed to save the baddie’s home planet. Current-day Kirk (Chris Pine) encounters old Spock who explains all the confusing time-jump mechanics to him. Together, current-day Kirk and Spock (Zachary Quinto) become begrudging friends and save the universe.

Star Trek: Into Darkness

Star Trek: Into Darkness

Airdate: 2013

Plot: The second J.J. Abrams film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as a villain that the marketing team really tried to convince people was not genetically-engineered superhuman Khan. (He was Khan.) Kirk leads a mission to capture Khan after her murders a bunch of Starfleet officers.

Zachary Quinto, left, and Karl Urban appear in a scene from "Star Trek Beyond."

Star Trek Beyond

Airdate: 2016

Plot: Justin Lin took over for the third reboot film and threw in some motorcycles because he has a thing for fast vehicles. In this one, a baddie named Krall (Idris Elba) kidnaps part of Kirk’s crew in hopes that Kirk will exchange a powerful McGuffin for their safety.

More Must-Reads From TIME

  • Exclusive: Google Workers Revolt Over $1.2 Billion Contract With Israel
  • Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation
  • Stop Looking for Your Forever Home
  • The Sympathizer Counters 50 Years of Hollywood Vietnam War Narratives
  • The Bliss of Seeing the Eclipse From Cleveland
  • Hormonal Birth Control Doesn’t Deserve Its Bad Reputation
  • The Best TV Shows to Watch on Peacock
  • Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Write to Eliana Dockterman at [email protected]

Den of Geek

Star Trek Timeline Explained

How does Star Trek: Discovery relate to the other Star Trek shows and movies? We unravel the history of the future to make it clear.

star trek historical timeline

  • Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
  • Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab)
  • Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)
  • Share on email (opens in a new tab)

This article comes from Den of Geek UK .

The Star Trek canon is a complicated place. Within the TV show and movies alone, there are prequels, sequels, time travel and alternate universes to keep track of – and not all of them happen in the right order. Star Trek Discovery is the latest continuity insert (and a fine one at that) – but how does it relate to everything else?

We begin our look at Star Trek’s timeline around 40 years into “our” future, at a point when the Earth is recovering from World War III…

2063 – Star Trek: First Contact (most of it)

Ad – content continues below

Star Trek: First Contact

This movie – Star Trek 8 , if you’re keeping track – sees the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew take a jaunt back in time to the era of Zefram Cochrane: the man who invented warp drive technology. The flight of his ship, the Phoenix, attracts the attention of some passing Vulcans who make the titular first contact. It’s an important moment.

read more – 8 Amazing Things About Star Trek: First Contact

2151-2155 – Star Trek: Enterprise

A hundred years later, the crew of Starfleet’s first warp 5 vessel, the Enterprise (registration NX-01) seeks to establish humanity as a significant player in the galaxy, although poor relations between Vulcans and humans keep it from being a simple task. Significantly, the Enterprise is key to defeating the Xindi who attempt to attack and destroy Earth.

read more: The Importance of the Star Trek: Enterprise Characters

2161 – As detailed in the final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise (ENT 4×22: “These Are The Voyages…”) the United Federation of Planets is formed from an alliance between four species: Humans, Vulcans, Andorians and Tellarites. The Enterprise NX-01 is also retired.

2165 – Sarek, Spock’s father, is born on Vulcan.

Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

2210 – Amanda Grayson, Spock’s mother, is born on Earth.

2230 – Spock is born. Amanda Grayson is 20 and Sarek is 65. Problematic tbh.

2233 – James T. Kirk is born. Just for context, in the divergent timeline of the reboot movies the Romulan terrorist Nero arrives from the future on the Narada, destroys the USS Kelvin and kills George Kirk. Everything after this point doesn’t apply to the reboot timeline, but… that’s a separate article.

2245 – The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) is launched under the command of Robert M. April.

2254 – The USS Enterprise visits the planet Talos IV while under the command of Captain Christopher Pike. Spock is already serving aboard the vessel at this time. Although the Talosians attempt to capture the crew, they are able to escape. It’s all detailed in “The Menagerie” ( TOS 1×15-16).

2256- ongoing – Star Trek Discovery

Experimental starship Discovery (NCC-1013) fights in the first major Klingon-Federation war. Michael Burnham, Spock’s adopted sister, is part of the crew. Sarek also visits sometimes. At one point Discovery encounters the Enterprise of this era while investigating the red lights phenomena and is placed under temporary command of Captain Christopher Pike.

2265-2269 – Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Original Series

Nine years after the events of Star Trek: Discovery , Kirk, Spock, Bones (and the rest) run a five year mission in deep space aboard the Enterprise, exploring the galaxy, establishing tropes, and talking numerous computers to death.

read more: The Most Important Star Trek Original Series Episodes

Notably, on one mission the Enterprise is able to restore a seriously-injured Christopher Pike to Talos IV so that he can live out his life in a psychically-created paradise preferable to reality. Lucky git.

2269-2270 – The Animated Adventures Of Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek

Sometimes deemed non-canon but increasingly less so, this series takes place immediately following the live-action show and mostly features most of the original cast. (Don’t listen too carefully to the voices.)

There’s a comic book series where the animated crew meet the Transformers which is definitely not canon and absolutely nuts but therefore great.

2270s – Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Following an 18-month refit, the Enterprise encounters V’ger prompting Admiral Kirk to reassume command of the ship.

read more – The Troubled Production of Star Trek: The Motion Picture

2285 – Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

Khan Noonien Singh, having escaped exile at the hands of Captain Kirk ( TOS 1×24: “Space Seed”), exacts revenge on the Enterprise using the Genesis device. The crew defeats Khan but Spock sacrifices his own life to save the Enterprise. Sad.

read more – The Difficult Journey of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Slightly later in 2285 – Star Trek III: The Search For Spock

The Enterprise returns to Earth for repairs before realising that Spock is still alive, having been reborn on the Genesis planet created in the previous film. The Klingons get involved and while attempting to rescue Spock, the Enterprise is destroyed. The crew hijacks a Klingon Bird of Prey and returns Spock to Vulcan and the care of Sarek.

read more – In Defense of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

2286 – Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

The crew of the Enterprise return to Earth (sans Enterprise) just in time to find it under attack: an invincible alien probe is bombarding the planet with a destructive signal trying to communicate with whales, which humans have driven to extinction. After heading back in time to 1987 to grab a whale, the crew return to 2286 and are placed on board a new version of the Enterprise: the NCC-1701-A.

2287 – Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Spock’s half-brother Sybok steals the Enterprise and tries to fly it into God. We wish we were making this up.

read more – Examining the Political Themes of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

2293 – Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

The wall comes down, IN SPACE. When the Russian Klingon power station Moon Chernobyl Praxis explodes, the notoriously insular empire begins discussion with its former enemies to achieve a friendly peace. Kirk and his crew save the peace process from a destabilisation plot by the Romulans. The Enterprise A is decommissioned.

read more – The Political Parallels of Star Trek VI: The Undisovered Country

2293 – Star Trek: Generations (some of it)

The Enterprise B (NCC-1701-B) is launched and Captain Kirk is thought to have died following an encounter with the mysterious energy ribbon known as The Nexus.

2344 – The Enterprise C (NCC-1701-C) is active under the command of Captain Rachel Garrett. You can learn more in TNG 3×15, “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” which is a great episode.

read more – Does Star Trek: Generations Deserve Another Chance?

2364-2370 – Star Trek: The Next Generation

The crew of the Enterprise D (NCC-1701-D) – Picard, Riker, Data (and the rest) travel around the galaxy encountering moral dilemmas which can usually be solved by reversing the polarity of something.

read more – The Best Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

2368 – Sarek dies ( TNG 5×01 – “Unification”)

2369-2375: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Things get confusing as TV shows begin to overlap. Commander Sisko unleashes the dragon aboard the strategically-important space station, Deep Space Nine.

read more – The Best Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Stories

2371: Star Trek Generations (the rest of it)

Picard et al rescue Kirk from the Nexus, proving that he didn’t die in 2293 after all. Although he later does in fact die. No backsies this time. Except in that one novel series. The Enterprise D is also turned into space-confetti.

2371-2378: Star Trek Voyager

Star Trek Voyager

Captain Kathryn Janeway gets the USS Voyager (registration unimportant) stranded in the Delta Quadrant and they spend 7 years trying to get home while stopping to check every molecule of every asteroid they so much as brush against. Harry Kim dies and is replaced by a replica created by a weird time thingy but no-one really talks about it.

read more – Why the Star Trek: Voyager Premiere is Worth a Rewatch

2373: Star Trek: First Contact (the rest of it)

Aboard the newly-commissioned Enterprise E (NCC-170-ah you get it by now) the Next Generation Crew follows a Borg ship back in time and prevents them from disrupting First Contact with the Vulcans. See the start of this article.

2375: Star Trek Insurrection

Nothing important happens in this one but it’s not as bad as people think.

2379: Star Trek Nemesis

Some important stuff DOES happen in this one because Data dies, but in this case it IS as bad as people think. Janeway shows up, promoted to Admiral, likely because she never wants to see the inside of a starship again.

read more – What Went Wrong With Star Trek: Nemesis?

2387: Star Trek (reboot)

Romulus is destroyed when a nearby star goes supernova. Spock is unable to stop it. A grieving Romulan named Nero travels back in time and creates the divergent JJ Abrams timeline which remains outside the scope of this article. However, the destruction of Romulus and the strange disappearance of Spock remain canon. Who knows what everyone else is up to?

Some time after 2387: Untitled Picard Series

The producers of the eagerly-awaited untitled Picard series have explained that the destruction of Romulus and dissolution of the Romulan empire will be a springboard for some of the events in this TV show, in which Picard has (likely) left Starfleet behind for good.

Sometimes around 3256: Short Treks’ “Calypso”

As someone pointed out in our comment section, one of Discovery’s latest Short Treks , “Calypso,” takes place roughly 1,000 years following the events of  Discovery , catching up with the abandoned ship’s computer, Zora. This potentially concerning peak into the Federation’s future has yet to be addressed in Discovery .

This, broadly, is where established canon ends. Further glimpses in the future (such as the future timeline seen in TNG finale, “All Good Things) can only be considered potential futures.

Have we missed anything? Let us know in the comments!

James Hunt

The Entire Star Trek Timeline Explained

Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek

Star Trek isn't just a popular media franchise — it's a philosophy of life. Back in the '60s, when Gene Roddenberry first set loose Kirk, Spock, and Uhura upon the world, the utopian vision he spearheaded was a breath of fresh air. On the bridge of the Enterprise , people of different races, backgrounds, and genders stood together, surrounded by advanced technology, and united in a shared mission. Star Trek wasn't intended to be an idealistic fairy tale, but rather, an illustration of humankind's potential. 

Then ... decades went on, different creators got involved, and the story got complicated. While many casual fans would love to get more invested in Trek lore, it's hard to figure out where to start, much less which order to watch all the shows in. That said, just because something is messy doesn't mean it's not also amazing, and Star Trek is worth your effort. Here's a thorough guide through the Star Trek timeline.

Looking back at the past

Buckle up, because the complete Star Trek saga begins not in the distant future, but in the recent past. Why? Because time travel is a pain in the neck, that's why. As Trek tells it, some significant historical events of the 20th century may be the result of time-traveling shenanigans. The most notable interference occurs in the Deep Space Nine episode " Little Green Men ," which depicts a small group of Ferengi — those are the money-obsessed dudes with the big ears — accidentally getting slung back into Earth's past, in the year 1947, where they cause the infamous Roswell Incident . Oops.  

To be fair, Starfleet officers usually try to be more careful about mucking up the past, as seen in the classic episode " Tomorrow is Yesterday ." Here, Kirk's Enterprise is hurled back to the year 1969 and sighted by the Air Force, who believe it's a UFO. Hey, that's not inaccurate. The crew spend the episode going to massive lengths to avoid any further damage to the timeline, like the good Samaritans they are, but at least one 20th-century fella walks away knowing that humankind will become crazy awesome in the future. 

The 1990s are ... well, confusing

These days, while some die-hard Trekkers still hold firm to the idea that Star Trek takes place in "our future," it's increasingly hard to see the franchise as existing in anything other than an alternate timeline. Khan , as played by Ricardo Montalbán, presents a divergence that's especially hard to rectify. He's a warlord from a so-called "Eugenics War" that ravaged Earth in the 1990s, wherein genetically altered tyrants like him apparently waged brutal battles and enslaved entire populations. Khan, in particular, is said to have ruled over one-quarter of Earthlings.

Dolly the Sheep, Bill Clinton, the World Wide Web ... a lot of things happened in the '90s, but  super-powered warlords weren't one of them. Sorry.

That said, Trek fans are notoriously stringent about their timeline, so later writers have gone to great lengths to ensure that the Eugenics Wars stays fixed in place. According to Memory Alpha , the outright war hinted at in the original series has been re-framed as a covert, secretive affair that was probably linked to real-life battles in the '90s. Hey, fair enough. That said, if you're thinking that everything starts getting clean, utopian, and Trek -like after the Eugenics War is kaput, think again.

The outbreak of World War III

Eventually, humans in the Star Trek universe learn to get along, ditch money, and be cool with everybody from every background. However, the process of getting here required a massive conflict to remind everyone just how much war sucks. That conflict, fittingly enough, is named World War III. If you though the past two World Wars were too long, well, Screen Rant says that the third edition dragged on (and on, and on) from 2026 until 2053, with countless nuclear bombs being dropped, major governments getting toppled, and other nightmarish happenings of the sort that John Titor  once warned the internet about. Allegedly, eugenics played some role in these battles, too.

While World War III wouldn't be the last war in galactic history, it was the final one ever waged between Earthling factions, on Earth's surface, with no extraterrestrial involvement. After nearly three decades of gunfire, Earth's remaining powers met for a truce in San Francisco, and society finally got a chance to rebuild.

First contact in the Star Trek timeline

If your head is already spinning, don't worry. Things get a bit more "Star Trekky" from this point forward.

In a narrative sense, the true "launch date" of the Star Trek story begins in the year 2063 , as depicted in Star Trek: First Contact . At this time, the world is still ailing and poverty-stricken thanks to all that nuclear warfare, but humankind is inching toward the stars again. The leader of these efforts is the eccentric scientist Dr. Zefram Cochrane , who not only has the coolest name ever, but manages to invent Earth's first manned, warp-drive ship. Fittingly enough, considering all the BS that humanity just survived, he dubs his starcraft "the Phoenix."

Anyhow, when the Phoenix warps out into space, it's detected by the Vulcans. Those good, pointy-eared, logical folks decide that, thanks to this grand technological achievement, the time has finally come for humankind to publicly meet beings from another world. And so, the Vulcans zoom down to Earth, the Earthlings finally get over their whole "do aliens exist?" question, and the road to a brighter future is paved.

Vulcans steer humans toward utopia

Thankfully, Star Trek wasn't created by Tim Burton or Ed Wood, so the Vulcans turn out to be authentic buddies instead of carnivorous lizard creatures, space blobs, or what have you. Over the next century, according to Screen Rant , the Vulcans become humanity's trusted advisers into the stars, slowly training the Earthlings on how to be a more advanced species, and not just by sharing their cool gizmos, but by eliminating all of Earth's poverty, ditching money, healing all those nasty diseases, and easing worldwide tensions. Thanks to all this alien help, Earth eventually unites under a United Earth Government. 

Now, by this point, it should be clear that even if Vulcans are a bit stiff, they make some seriously cool allies. That said, even after Vulcans spend a century just helping Earth out, not everyone is so hot on them. As explained by StarTrek.com, some people are resentful of the fact that Vulcans only very slowly tease out their various scientific advancements, instead of sharing it all in one go. You know, as if humanity didn't just spend 30 years blowing itself to smithereens.

The Enterprise is born

In the 2130s, according to Memory Alpha , the utopian city of San Francisco gives birth to Starfleet, a space organization that aims to, as famously proclaimed by Zefram Cochrane, "seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before."

To make this dream a reality, Starfleet builds humanity's first Warp-5 vessel in 2151, the Enterprise NX-01. The world's first Enterprise is commanded by a dude named Dr. Sam Beckett ... er, sorry,  Jonathan Archer, who leads a quirky crew of humans, a Vulcan, and even a Denobulan across the galaxy for the next handful of years, as depicted in the series Star Trek: Enterprise .  Because dramatic tension requires big problems, Archer's crew eventually gets embroiled in a war against some animalistic aliens known as the Xindi . Unfortunately, this is followed just a few years later (off-screen) by a war against the Romulans. Remember that latter group, as they're the ones who seem like perpetually ticked-off Vulcans. 

Once the dust settles on all this intergalactic warfare, the year 2161 sees the Earthlings, Vulcans, Andorians (the blue dudes), and the Tellarites do a big pow-wow back in San Francisco, where they form the United Federation of Planets. It's a cool organization, which the rest of Star Trek history pretty much centers on.

Enter Star Trek: Discovery

At this point, you arrive at the prequel series Star Trek: Discovery , which according to Den of Geek is set around the year 2255 — basically, about a decade before the original 1966 series. By this point, the Federation has been batting around for a century. Things are going swell, for the most part, other than the fact that everybody's now embroiled in a long-running Cold War with the Klingons. The series itself follows Michael Burnham, a human Vulcan specialist played by Sonequa Martin-Green, who serves aboard the science vessel the U.S.S. Discovery . Hence, the series name. Voila!

Now, the fact that a futuristic sci-fi show produced in 2017 is supposed to be a prequel to a series from the '60s presents some obvious challenges, particularly regarding the fact that any advanced tech in Discovery seems radically more advanced than the stuff in the original Gene Roddenberry series . How to explain it? Well, aside from the fact that the Discovery is a science vessel, Screen Rant points out that the series has gone to great lengths to establish that the 1966 show's dated aesthetics are due to the influence of Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike, an old-fashioned dude who prefers old-fashioned tech. While not spelled outright, it can be assumed that Pike — first introduced in the 1966 show's pilot, "The Cage" — probably passed down his dated preferences to Kirk.

Say hello to the original series

As should be clear by now, Star Trek has a lot of prequels. Finally, though, this brings the picture to the years 2265 to 2269 , where Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Bones, Uhura, Scotty, and the rest get up to the famous shenanigans depicted in the original Star Trek TV series. From here, you know the drill. We've got a five year mission, Klingon tension, a bunch of fluffy Tribbles, and battles against dinosaur-looking aliens. The Roddenberry era is, and will forever be, the heart of all things Star Trek . By this point, the human race has evolved way beyond all the quarrels that were still going on in the Enterprise era, but they still aren't quite at Next Generation -level perfection.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture , then, takes place about a decade later, in the 2270s , and depicts the now-Admiral Kirk bringing the band back together on a retrofitted Enterprise to do, well, pretty much the same things they did ten years ago. Hey, worked the first time, right? The following Star Trek movies (up until the Next Generation team takes over) all take place within the same general time frame.

Picard makes it so

Okay, so once the original crew finishes their fun, a long, long time passes between the original  Star Trek movies and Star Trek: The Next Generation . The latter series takes place almost a century later in 2364, according to Digital Spy , and features a Charles Xavier-looking mofo named Captain Jean-Luc Picard taking over the U.S.S. Enterprise -D on yet another mission of exploration. By this point, the Federation is so cool with the Klingons that they even have one serving as Picard's Lieutenant (hey, Worf!), and technology has advanced to the point of producing holodecks, badge communicators, Geordi's VISOR, and so on.

Now, Captain Picard might not be as psychic as you think he is, but he's a levelheaded leader, and probably the person you most want commanding your ship if you ever encounter, say, a species of freaky cyborg aliens who fly through space in giant cubes. Speaking of those guys, they're called the Borg. Much of Next Generation deals with them nearly exterminating the Federation, trying to assimilate humanity into their ranks, and generally being the biggest threat in space history.

Meanwhile, other events are afoot ... 

Deep Space Nine, reporting for duty

The approximate time period that Next Generation takes place in is accompanied by two other Star Trek shows, both of which happen in wildly different sectors of outer space. The first of these is Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , which  Digital Spy  charts as beginning in 2369. This cult favorite series depicts the liberation of the planet Bajor from a 50 year occupation by the militaristic, snakelike Cardassians . Once Bajor is free, the Federation moves into nearby space station Terok Nor, rechristens it Deep Space Nine (DS9), and installs Earthling Commander Benjamin Sisko  to keep the peace, tamper down all the conflicts, and guide Bajorans into joining the Federation. Instead, he accidentally discovers a wormhole, talks to celestial beings known as the Prophets, and ends up being hailed by Bajorans as a religious figure named "the Emissary." Hey, life takes you in unexpected directions.

However, Sisko's heartfelt, off-the-cuff leadership style ends up being a perfect fit for DS9, particularly when the aliens on the other side of the wormhole — shape-shifting "Founders" who rule over an empire called the Dominion — get embroiled into warfare with the Federation. Yes, another war. And yes, the Federation wins, largely thanks to Sisko, though his fate ends up being rather ... well, it'll leave a tear in your eye, that's for sure. Watch and see.

Voyaging (and getting lost) in the Star Trek universe

Around this same decade, you have Star Trek: Voyager , set in 2371. This show depicts the adventures of black coffee-loving Captain Kathryn Janeway, whose U.S.S. Voyager goes on a regular cruise through the stars, only to accidentally get warped all the way to the Delta Quadrant, a region of space that's at least 75 years from Earth . Take that, Will Robinson! This puts them in a weird situation where they have no communication with the Federation, no familiarity with most of the aliens they encounter, have to team up with groups they might've normally been wary about, and worst of all, they find those Borg creeps at their throats again. Uh-oh.

As Vulture points out, another key character in Voyager is Seven of Nine, played by Jeri Ryan. She's a Borg who slowly rediscovers her humanity as a member of Janeway's crew. As for the show's final episode, it pits Captain Janeway against the Borg Queen .

What's the deal with this whole 'Kelvin' timeline thing?

If you've been racking your brain, trying to figure out where those newfangled Kirk-led Star Trek movies of the 2010s come in ... well, here's your lucky ticket: They belong to an alternate universe dubbed the "Kelvin" timeline.

In 2387 of the original "Prime" timeline, as explained by Fandom , a few decades after Next Generation ends, the whole galaxy is menaced by a deadly supernova. Sadly, the catastrophe's opening trick is to destroy the planet Romulus and everyone on it. Flying to the rescue comes an elderly Spock, who attacks the supernova with a mysterious entity called "Red Matter," and while this fixes the problem, it can't bring back Romulus. To make a bad situation worse, a Romulan miner named Nero blames Spock for the whole disaster. Nero crashes both his and Spock's ship into a black hole caused by the Red Matter, sending them back to the year 2233.

And that's where Nero, along with his ship full of angry Romulans, attacks a Federation vessel called the U.S.S. Kelvin . The ship goes down, killing first officer George Kirk on the day of his son's birth. This not only leaves future Captain James Kirk to grow up without a father, but it also creates an alternate universe (Kelvin) which spins in a different direction, while the original timeline (Prime) remains unaltered. 

Picard returns

Now, until recently, this was the last word on the 2300s. The fate of any characters in Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , and Voyager beyond their end of their respective shows was left mysterious.

Then along came Marvel's Logan , and the powers-that-be realized how much audiences love to cry at the sight of their favorite characters struggling against old age, and thus,  Star Trek: Picard was greenlit. This 2020 sequel series depicts an elderly Jean-Luc Picard  in the year 2399 , on the cusp of the long-awaited 25th century, dealing with the fallout from the aforementioned destruction of Romulus. After nearly two decades of every Star Trek release being either a prequel or a reboot, while never diving further into the future, it seems only fitting that Roddenberry's vision of utopia will finally move to the next level — and that Admiral Picard will be the one to make it so.

The future of Star Trek?

The  Star Trek timeline encompasses about 400 years of stories. It's so epic that it makes Lord of the Rings look tame in comparison. Still, one can't help but ponder, could this idealized version of humanity survive for oh, say, another 600 years?

As it happens, Star Trek has played with the notion of pushing into the 3000s for a long time. For example,  Slashfilm  reported that back in 2005,  X-Men director Bryan Singer tried to spearhead a series titled Star Trek: Federation , which would've featured a decadent, Roman Empire-esque Federation in the year 3000. This show never got off the ground, but the canon version of the 31st century has been glimpsed at in  Enterprise . According to  Memory Alpha , this involved the whacked-out "Temporal Cold War," wherein different alliances tried to mess with historical events to suit their own means. Yikes, as if this stuff isn't confusing enough? Meanwhile, according to The Hollywood Reporter , the third season of  Discovery also takes place in the 3000s, so this distant future may soon become a key part of Trek lore. 

For now, though, that's the gist of it. Beam 'em up, Scotty. 

  • Copy from this list
  • Report this list

Star Trek: Movies & TV Shows In Chronological Timeline Order

These are the Movies, TV Shows, From Star Trek in Chronological Timeline Order.

  • Movies or TV
  • IMDb Rating
  • In Theaters
  • Release Year

1. Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005)

TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

A century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the formation of the Federation.

Stars: Scott Bakula , John Billingsley , Jolene Blalock , Dominic Keating

Votes: 58,956

Year: 2151-2155; 2373 (Season 1-4)

2. Star Trek: Short Treks (2018–2020)

TV-PG | 10 min | Short, Action, Adventure

A series of stand-alone short films featuring characters and storylines from Star Trek: Discovery (2017).

Stars: Anson Mount , Rebecca Romijn , Ethan Peck , Jenette Goldstein

Votes: 3,130

Year: 2230's-2385 (Season 1-2)

3. Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)

TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

Ten years before Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien.

Stars: Sonequa Martin-Green , Doug Jones , Anthony Rapp , Mary Wiseman

Votes: 133,573

Year: 2256-2257; 3188-3190 (Season 1-4)

4. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )

TV-PG | 52 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

A prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, the show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike.

Stars: Anson Mount , Ethan Peck , Christina Chong , Melissa Navia

Votes: 58,450

Year: 2259 (Season 1) Year: 2260 (Season 2)

5. Star Trek (1966–1969)

TV-PG | 50 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

Stars: William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , Nichelle Nichols

Votes: 92,665

Year: 2265-2269 (Season 1-3)

6. Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1975)

TV-Y7 | 30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

The further adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise, as they explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

Stars: William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , George Takei

Votes: 8,149

Year: 2269-2270 (Season 1-2)

7. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

G | 143 min | Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi

When an alien spacecraft of enormous power is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral James T. Kirk resumes command of the overhauled USS Enterprise in order to intercept it.

Director: Robert Wise | Stars: William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , James Doohan

Votes: 96,456 | Gross: $82.26M

8. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

PG | 113 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

With the assistance of the Enterprise crew, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon.

Director: Nicholas Meyer | Stars: William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , James Doohan

Votes: 129,059 | Gross: $78.91M

9. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

PG | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body.

Director: Leonard Nimoy | Stars: William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , James Doohan

Votes: 86,054 | Gross: $76.47M

Year: 2285 (After the events of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)

10. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

PG | 119 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

To save Earth from an alien probe, Admiral James T. Kirk and his fugitive crew go back in time to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it: humpback whales.

Votes: 91,356 | Gross: $109.71M

11. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

PG | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Captain Kirk and his crew must deal with Mr. Spock's long-lost half-brother who hijacks the Enterprise for an obsessive search for God at the center of the galaxy.

Director: William Shatner | Stars: William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , James Doohan

Votes: 64,115 | Gross: $52.21M

12. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

PG | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

On the eve of retirement, Kirk and McCoy are charged with assassinating the Klingon High Chancellor and imprisoned. The Enterprise crew must help them escape to thwart a conspiracy aimed at sabotaging the last best hope for peace.

Votes: 80,784 | Gross: $74.89M

13. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)

TV-PG | 45 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

Stars: Patrick Stewart , Brent Spiner , Jonathan Frakes , LeVar Burton

Votes: 135,576

Year: 2364-2370 (Season 1-7)

14. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)

In the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, the Federation space station Deep Space Nine guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the galaxy.

Stars: Avery Brooks , Rene Auberjonois , Cirroc Lofton , Alexander Siddig

Votes: 70,606

Year: 2369-2375 (Season 1-7)

15. Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)

TV-PG | 44 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is seventy-five years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home.

Stars: Kate Mulgrew , Robert Beltran , Roxann Dawson , Robert Duncan McNeill

Votes: 77,128

Year: 2371-2378; 3074 (Season 1-7)

16. Star Trek: Generations (1994)

PG | 118 min | Action, Adventure, Mystery

With the help of long presumed dead Captain Kirk, Captain Picard must stop a deranged scientist willing to murder on a planetary scale in order to enter a space matrix.

Director: David Carson | Stars: Patrick Stewart , William Shatner , Malcolm McDowell , Jonathan Frakes

Votes: 86,938 | Gross: $75.67M

17. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

PG-13 | 111 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

The Borg travel back in time intent on preventing Earth's first contact with an alien species. Captain Picard and his crew pursue them to ensure that Zefram Cochrane makes his maiden flight reaching warp speed.

Director: Jonathan Frakes | Stars: Patrick Stewart , Jonathan Frakes , Brent Spiner , LeVar Burton

Votes: 131,903 | Gross: $92.00M

18. Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

PG | 103 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

When the crew of the Enterprise learn of a Federation conspiracy against the inhabitants of a unique planet, Captain Picard begins an open rebellion.

Votes: 79,361 | Gross: $70.12M

19. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

The Enterprise is diverted to the Romulan homeworld Romulus, supposedly because they want to negotiate a peace treaty. Captain Picard and his crew discover a serious threat to the Federation once Praetor Shinzon plans to attack Earth.

Director: Stuart Baird | Stars: Patrick Stewart , Jonathan Frakes , Brent Spiner , LeVar Burton

Votes: 83,821 | Gross: $43.25M

20. Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020– )

TV-14 | 25 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

The support crew serving on one of Starfleet's least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, have to keep up with their duties, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.

Stars: Tawny Newsome , Jack Quaid , Noël Wells , Eugene Cordero

Votes: 24,814

Year: 2380-2381 (Season 1-4)

21. Star Trek: Prodigy (2021–2024)

TV-Y7 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

A group of enslaved teenagers steal a derelict Starfleet vessel to escape and explore the galaxy.

Stars: Rylee Alazraqui , Dee Bradley Baker , Brett Gray , Angus Imrie

Votes: 5,534

Year: 2383 (Season 1-2)

22. Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)

TV-MA | 46 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life.

Stars: Patrick Stewart , Michelle Hurd , Jeri Ryan , Alison Pill

Votes: 94,445

Year: 2399-2402 (Season 1-3)

23. Star Trek: Section 31 (2025)

Action, Adventure, Drama | Filming

In Star Trek: Section 31, Emperor Philippa Georgiou, joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past.

Director: Olatunde Osunsanmi | Stars: Michelle Yeoh , Kacey Rohl , Sam Richardson , Omari Hardwick

24. Untitled Star Trek expand

Adventure, Drama | Pre-production

Plot under wraps.

Director: Toby Haynes

Year: 2208 (50-years before the events of the Star Trek Franchise in the Kelvinverse)

25. Star Trek (2009)

PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.

Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Simon Pegg , Leonard Nimoy

Votes: 619,814 | Gross: $257.73M

Year: 2258 (Kelvinverse)

26. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.

Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Zoe Saldana , Benedict Cumberbatch

Votes: 496,735 | Gross: $228.78M

Year: 2259 (1-year after the events of Star Trek (2009) in the Kelvinverse)

27. Star Trek Beyond (2016)

PG-13 | 122 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

The crew of the USS Enterprise explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a new ruthless enemy, who puts them, and everything the Federation stands for, to the test.

Director: Justin Lin | Stars: Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Karl Urban , Zoe Saldana

Votes: 258,205 | Gross: $158.85M

Year: 2263 (4-years after the events of Star Trek Into Darkness in the Kelvinverse)

28. Untitled Star Trek: Beyond Sequel

Action, Adventure, Mystery | Pre-production

Plot kept under wraps. The follow-up to Star Trek Beyond (2016).

Stars: Chris Pine , Zoe Saldana , Karl Urban , Simon Pegg

Year: 2266 (3-years after the events of Star Trek Beyond in the Kelvinverse)

List Activity

Tell your friends, other lists by claxben.

list image

Recently Viewed

  • Movies & TV
  • Big on the Internet
  • About Us & Contact

Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer looks at the time stream in 'Star Trek Enterprise'

A Trekkie’s Guide To Navigating the Star Trek Timeline

Image of Rebecca Oliver Kaplan

With a narrative that spans seven decades and more than three times as many shows and movies, determining how to watch Star Trek might seem like a daunting prospect. Whether you’re new to the franchise or want to know how to watch the series following the in-universe chronology, this guide should help.

What is a stardate?

To avoid placing Star Trek in a specific century, the franchise has its own system of time: the stardate system. Originally inspired by the Modified Julian date system used by astronomers, writers, and producers have selected numbers using different methods over the years (some more arbitrary than others), which makes it impossible to convert all of the stardates to equivalent calendar dates.

What to know about the Star Trek timeline?

How time works in Star Trek, and how it’s impacted by Starfleet’s time travel shenanigans, is debated amongst the most devoted followers of the Church of Trek. But for casual fans, the first thing it’s necessary to know is that the Star Trek Universe consists of two timelines: the prime timeline and the Kelvin timeline. Although two timelines exist, most of the franchise’s films, shows, and tie-ins take place on the prime timeline.

The second thing to know is that Star Trek’s timelines are always subject to change. Due to the nature of time travel in the franchise, entries appearing earlier on the prime timeline can be impacted and changed (very important to remember) by events that happen later on. For example, the Star Trek: Enterprise season 2 episode “Regeneration” follows up on the events of Star Trek: First Contact .

How to watch the Star Trek prime timeline in chronological order

Here’s how to watch Star Trek ‘s prime timeline in chronological order:

Star Trek: Enterprise (stardates: 2151 – 2155)

Star Trek: The Original Series pilot “The Cage” (stardate: 2254)

Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 2 (stardates: 2256 – 2258)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (stardates: 2259 – 2260)

Star Trek: The Original Series (stardates: 2265 – 2269)

Star Trek: The Animated Series (stardates: 2269 – 2270)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (stardate: 2272)

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (stardate: 2285)

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (stardate: 2285)

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (stardate: 2286)

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (stardate: 2287)

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (stardate: 2293)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (stardates: 2364 – 2370)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (stardates: 2369 –2375)

Star Trek Generations (stardate: 2371 and some in 2293)

Star Trek: First Contact (stardate: 2373)

Star Trek: Insurrection (stardate: 2375)

Star Trek: Voyager (stardates: 2371 –2378)

Star Trek: Nemesis (stardate: 2379)

Star Trek: Lower Decks (stardates: 2380 – 2381)

Star Trek: Prodigy (stardates: 2383 – 2384)

Star Trek: Picard (stardates: 2399 – 2402)

Star Trek: Discovery seasons 3 and 4 (stardates: 3188 – 3190)

What about the J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movie trilogy? 

As touched on above, there are two timelines in Star Trek . The J.J. Abrams movies take place on the Kelvin timeline, a parallel timeline created when a 24th-century Romulan, Nero, travels back in time to 2233 (between Ent and Disco season 1, for those keeping track) and splits the timelines in two. 

Most of the Kelvin timeline takes place around the TOS ‘s timeframe but on an alternate timeline. Well, at least so far. 

Here’s how to watch all three movies in the Kelvin timeline in chronological order:

Star Trek (2233)

Star Trek Into Darkness (2259 – 2260)

Star Trek Beyond (2263)

(featured image: Paramount Pictures)

Yelena Belova looking shocked in Hawkeye

The Entire Star Trek: Discovery Timeline Explained

Captain Michael Burnham Reacting

For a series ostensibly about exploring the galaxy and meeting new lifeforms in the hopes of sharing knowledge and resources, there sure is a lot of time travel in "Star Trek." It's been present from the very beginning, as even Kirk and crew visited the past multiple times . Two of those adventures resulted in the iconic episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" and "Star Trek 4: The Adventure Home."

Modern "Star Trek" adventures have embraced this aspect of the universe, as time travel was also the direct cause of the Kelvin Timeline featured in the 2009 "Star Trek" film and its sequels. When the Romulan Nero traveled back in time and destroyed the USS Kelvin, killing James Kirk's father, he accidentally contributed to the creation of a new universe running parallel to the prime timeline. Ultimately, time travel has become every bit as important to "Star Trek" as exploration.

"Star Trek: Discovery" is no exception to this. Initially a prequel series set ten years before the original series, it soon became a sequel set further into the future than any other "Star Trek" installment. Time travel tends to muddy the narrative progression of a story, so we will be looking at where "Star Trek: Discovery" started to shed some light on where it ended up. Here is the entire "Star Trek: Discovery" timeline explained.

A visit to Talos

"Star Trek: Discovery" is set ten years before what is now referred to as "Star Trek: The Original Series." However, one episode of "The Original Series" actually occurs before "Discovery." In many ways, it is the beginning of the entire "Star Trek" franchise. While most viewers back in the late '60s probably remember it as the story told in the exciting two-parter "The Menagerie," which reuses the footage captured for the original "Star Trek" pilot called "The Cage."

We have to begin here because these events play a crucial role in "Star Trek: Discovery" Season 2. "The Cage" sees the Enterprise crew, led by Captain Christopher Pike, visiting Talos IV, encountering a strange alien race. These are the Talosians, telepaths who experience life by manipulating beings they keep in their menagerie. By forcing Captain Pike to endure multiple illusions of their creations, they hope to understand love, anger, fear, excitement, and other emotions they forfeited by choosing to further develop their mental abilities.

Years later, after Captain Pike temporarily assumes command of the USS Discovery, he is forced to revisit Talos IV to cure Spock of his current mental disorder. Not only is it a chance to save Spock's life, but it also allows Pike to seek out closure regarding his past experiences on the planet.

The Battle at the Binary Stars

"Star Trek: Discovery" officially begins with a huge two-part story called "The Vulcan Hello" and "The Battle at the Binary Stars." This is where we meet the star of the show, Commander Michael Burnham, the first officer of the USS Shenzhou. While most "Star Trek" shows tend to be ensemble pieces, "Discovery" belongs to Burnham and it is her arc that we follow.

This opening episode sees Starfleet encountering Klingons for the first time in about a century. An extremist group of Klingons led by the xenophobic T'Kuvma engaged in a devastating battle with the USS Shenzhou after an altercation with Burnham resulted in the death of one of their own. This opening battle becomes a war between the Federation and the Klingons, the effects of which are still being felt during "The Original Series" and the six original "Star Trek" movies .

Following this battle, Michael Burnham is stripped of her rank and sentenced to life in prison — which leads to the true beginning of the show.

Six months later

Following Michael's sentencing, the show jumps ahead six months. While being transferred to a new prison, there's an emergency and the Discovery arrives to save her. While on the ship she meets its captain, a dark and elusive man named Gabriel Lorca, and its crew. She also reunites with her old friend from the Shenzhou, Commander Saru. Healing their relationship following her mutiny is a major part of the first two seasons of "Star Trek: Discovery." 

Lorca believes that Michael's knowledge and experience could be of some use to them on the Discovery, so he invites her to unofficially join them as a specialist. The reasons behind Lorca's decision to go out of his way to save her, and why he wants her working with him on the Discovery, is another major element to the first season. His character comes off as a little strange right away, as Starfleet captains tend to be fairly approachable and diplomatic. However, Lorca is intimidating, conniving, and a little too adept at war to fit the typical captain archetype.

Taking Control

To correctly understand the timeline of "Star Trek: Discovery," we next need to dive into some events that are revealed during Season 2 but take place in Season 1. 

Section 31 is the secret Black Ops division of the United Federation of Planets . They operate in the shadows, carrying out missions the Federation doesn't want to be made public. They feature heavily in "Star Trek: Discovery" and its second season. Following the events of "The Battle at the Binary Stars," Section 31 starts using a threat assessment artificial intelligence called Control in the hopes of preventing wars.

The idea is the Federation would give Control information regarding potential threats, and Control would then provide suggestions on how to proceed. As often happens in science fiction when artificial intelligence is involved, things go haywire when Control decides it no longer needs human beings to implement its suggestions. Instead, it assumes "control" of human beings to enact its agenda. This leads to the massive time jump the USS Discovery would take into the future during the end of Season 2.

Into the Mirror Universe

The USS Discovery has an experimental new system called a spore drive. It allows the Discovery to travel along a microscopic network spread throughout the universe, effectively making instant travel possible. It's an incredibly complex system, one that Forbes notes was inspired by a real-life mycologist, which can be used to break the barriers between realities.

The idea is proposed to astromycologist Commander Paul Stamets by Captain Gabriel Lorca. Stamets is considering leaving Starfleet, but Lorca convinces him to stay on to try one final experiment to see if it truly is possible to visit alternate realities. The experiment works, and the entire crew of the USS Discovery is transported into the classic evil dimension of the "Star Trek" universe — the Mirror Universe .

In the "Star Trek" Mirror Universe the heroes are villains and the villains are heroes, and it is soon revealed that this is where Lorca is from. He arrived in the prime timeline, took over the original Gabriel Lorca's life, and orchestrated events to unite with Michael Burnham — who was his lover in the mirror universe — and use the spore drive to return to his universe and overthrow Emperor Georgiou.

While the time the crew spends in the mirror universe might seem brief, it turns out that nine months pass during that time. 

Nine months later

When Gabriel Lorca dies in the mirror universe, the crew of the USS Discovery returns to their native universe — but they've brought the emperor with them. 

One of Michael Burnham's defining character traits is parental issues. She lost her human parents at a very young age. She was then adopted by the Vulcan Sarek and his human wife, Amanda. They raised her on Vulcan with their son Spock, effectively making her Spock's human step-sister .

Although she tried to live like a Vulcan, her human emotions were far too powerful. As a result, when she joined Starfleet and was assigned to serve on the USS Shenzhou, she gravitated to its human captain Phillipa Georgiou, seeing her as a maternal figure. Tragically, Georgiou died in the Battle of the Binary Stars, and the guilt of her loss has tortured Burnham ever since. Upon arriving in the mirror universe and finding another Georgiou, she can't help but try and bring her back to the prime timeline, hoping to correct her biggest regret.

Back in the prime timeline, they discover that nine months have passed and the war has not been going well. Discovery is boarded by Sarek and Admiral Cornwell, who informs the recently-returned crew that the Klingons have almost won the war.

The mystery of the Red Angel

By the end of Season One, the Klingon War is over, and there is an uneasy peace between the two sides. However, the crew of the Discovery doesn't have long to reflect on these events, as they soon encounter the Enterprise and are boarded by Captain Christopher Pike. Pike has been directed to temporarily assume command of the Discovery to research red burst anomalies that have been popping up all over the galaxy.

The red bursts are caused by an entity referred to as the Red Angel. The identity of this entity and the reasons for its actions are complex but intimately related to Michael. It turns out that there are two Red Angels — one is Michael Burnham's mother, Gabrielle, and the other is Michael herself. The form of the angel is actually a suit capable of traveling through time developed by Michael's parents as a project for Section 31.

At some point, Gabrielle decides to use the suit to escape an attack from Klingons but winds up in the distant future. She sees that the AI system Control has taken over the galaxy, so she uses her suit to jump around in time in the hopes of preventing Control from evolving and spreading across the galaxy. Michael then uses the suit to send signals that appear as red bursts for the crew of the Discovery to follow, defeat Control, and travel to the future.

The all-knowing Sphere

Season 2 of "Star Trek: Discovery" is full of big, wild ideas that could serve as the basis for a film or an entire series. The first, of course, is the threat of Control. The second is the Red Angel. The third is a sentient, planet-sized lifeform called the Sphere.

This Sphere has spent hundreds of thousands of years exploring the galaxy, collecting information and experiences. It has existed for such a long time that it is now dying. With such a wealth of knowledge and experience, it doesn't want to be forgotten, so it transfers its memory to the Discovery's computers.

As wonderful a find as this is, it is also incredibly dangerous. When Airiam, a cybernetic member of the Discovery crew, is infected by a future version of Control, she is directed to transfer all the sphere data on artificial intelligence to the current form of Control. With that information, Control will be able to gain full sentience and take over the galaxy — just as seen in Spock's vision from the Red Angel.

Defeating Control

For any "Star Trek" fans upset that "Star Trek: Discovery"  takes place 10 years before "The Original Series" but the technology is significantly more advanced — or that Spock never mentioned having a human step-sister — their fears were partially quelled when the ship made the jump ahead almost one thousand years.

By the end of Season 2, Control was defeated, the mystery of the Red Angel was solved, and the need to get the sphere data to a safer time period arose. With the data merging to Discovery's computers, the decision was made not to try and delete the data but take it into the future. Using the Red Angel suit, Michael Burnham drags the USS Discovery into a time in a future not yet explored by the "Star Trek" franchise .

Once Discovery is gone, the Federation decides to clear the ship's existence from all Starfleet records and never speak of it, the crew, or its mission again. Thus, Michael Burnham is never mentioned, nor is the Discovery or its experimental spore drive. 

The future of Starfleet and the Federation

The jump to the future is successful, but Michael arrives there alone. Since she was towing the ship, not riding in it, the trip was different for her. Immediately upon arriving, she rams into a ship piloted by Cleveland Booker before being pulled in by a nearby planet's gravity, regaining control of the Red Angel suit only seconds before splattering on its surface.

At first, she is panicked that Discovery won't answer her call but is soon thrilled by the knowledge that there is life on this planet. She eventually meets Cleveland Booker and discovers that the Federation barely exists anymore. The reason for its diminished size and influence was something called the Burn. In the 31st century, nearly every warp core installed in Federation ships exploded, wiping out swaths of life and nearly destroying the Federation. Exactly what caused this "burn" is the central mystery of Season 3. 

One year later

In this new world, where dilithium is more precious than ever, Michael travels the galaxy, trading it for goods and services. She spends an entire year recording her experiences and searching for any sign of the Discovery. Finally, her search efforts pay off, and she is reunited with her crew. In a completely new headspace, Michael isn't sure about serving on the Discovery any longer. True, she earned back her respect and rank but is she is more interested in solving the mystery of the Burn and restoring the Federation rather than limiting herself to a single ship.

By the end of Season 3, the mystery surrounding the Burn is solved, the Federation is in the early stages of reconnecting with its lost members, and Michael joins the crew of the Discovery again. This time, however, she isn't a specialist or a first officer — she is the captain. 

Season 4 is still set in the 32nd century and Michael is now known as Captain Michael Burnham. Her arc mirrors the real-life arc of the show. She started as a first officer who lost everything and worked her way back to a command position, while "Star Trek: Discovery" began life as a prequel with a dubious connection to canon and became a sequel that takes the franchise to brand new heights.

Follow Cool Infographics

Need infographics.

InfoNewt Services Social.jpg

Designer | Author | Instructor | Speaker

Cool-Infographics-Book-Cover-White.jpg

FREE Sample Chapter

Cool Infographics

Nov 27 Official Timeline of Star Trek

Timeline of Start Trek Part 1 Video Infographic

The team at StarTrek.com has released an official infographic video A Timeline Through the Star Trek Universe, Part 1 that includes all of the various TV and Movie series in their inter-connected places on the timeline.

WATCH: A Timeline Through the Star Trek Universe, Part I The Star Trek saga has boldly traveled through space and time throughout its over fifty year history. Starfleet has visited the distant past, the far future, and even some alternate timelines. Need some context before you dive deep into Star Trek: Discovery and prepare for Star Trek: Picard? We've got you covered in Part One of our video timeline.

Here’s a snapshot of the complete timeline:

A Timeline Through the Star Trek Universe, Part 1 - Full Infographic

Interesting that they call this “Part 1”… Implying that there is much more to come.

From a DataViz design perspective, I’m not a fan of timelines that don’t keep a consistent scale. There’s a huge jump from the Big Bang 13.8 Billion years ago to the year 1900, then the scale is pretty even with 50-year jumps until the year 2150, and then the scale changes again, making the 50-year jumps are much farther apart.

It appears that this is an evolution of an original design project collaboration between Rachel Ivanoff and Jordan Twaddle that was on exhibit at the The Museum of Pop-Culture (MoPOP) in Seattle, Washington in 2016. The new video adds Star Trek: Discovery to the timeline, and video snippets from each of the shows.

Back in 2016, they shared this great animated GIF of the design evolution from the original timeline design process:

I hope they were involved in the development of the new timeline video as well.

How Does Impeachment Work?

Dec 16 How Does Impeachment Work?

What's Inside the White House?

Nov 25 What's Inside the White House?

Related posts.

The Timeline of Doctor Who

Jan 3 The Timeline of Doctor Who

Star Trek: The Original Series

Dec 26 Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Wars vs. Star Trek

Apr 18 Star Wars vs. Star Trek

The Star Trek “Origin” Movie Is Finally Going Into Production

The new Star Trek prequel movie is set to be revealed on the big screen. Probably.

LOS ANGELES - DECEMBER 1: Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock (Mr. Spock) in the STAR TREK: The Origina...

For 30 years — from 1979 to 2009 — the longest wait between new Star Trek feature films was seven years. And, for most of that period, from the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) to Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), there was almost always a new Star Trek movie in theaters every two to four years. But after the wildly successful J.J. Abrams-directed reboot film in 2009, the release clip for Trek movies went from maximum warp to impulse power, to glacially slow. And now, by the time the next Star Trek movie hits theaters, it will have been about 10 years since the previous one — Star Trek Beyond — beamed into cinemas in 2016.

Since that time, for Trekkies, updates of a new Star Trek film have been very similar to the game football Lucy plays with Charlie Brown; just when a hypothetical movie sounds real, it gets snatched away. But now, there’s a glimmer of hope. Thanks to reports out of CinemaCon 2024, it looks like, the next Trek film is scheduled for release in either 2025 or 2026. But what’s it about? And will it really happen?

Star Trek 14 is “an untitled origin story”

Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto in 'Star Trek' (2009).

The new “origin story” will be set before the 2009 reboot. But how many decades before?

During CinemaCon 2024, Paramount confirmed several in-development projects including a live-action GI Joe / Transformers crossover (teased in 2023’s Rise of the Beasts ), a hardcore Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action movie, a remake of the sci-fi thriller The Running Man (from Edgar Wright), the confirmation of an Avatar trilogy, and the assertion that a new Star Trek feature film will go into production this year, with a release date soon to follow.

Since 2016 to now, there have been at least five different attempts to make a new Star Trek film, either as timey wimey direct sequel to Beyond (“Star Trek 4”) a one-off space mobster movie (Quentin Tarantino’s script) or something else entirely (Noah Hawley and Matt Shakman’s attempts that remain undisclosed). But now, although Paramount is reportedly developing a sequel to Beyond — which would feature the reboot cast from the 2009 film one last time — the next Star Trek movie is not that sequel, but instead, as previously reported , an “origin story” that “takes place decades before the 2009 Star Trek film that rebooted the franchise.” This movie has been confirmed to be directed by Toby Haynes ( Andor, Doctor Who ) with a script from Seth Grahame-Smith ( The Lego Batman Movie , Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter) .

Wait? Wasn’t the 2009 film an “origin story?” While the answer to this question is technically a “yes,” the 2009 film (just titled Star Trek ) was also partially a time-travel sequel to the canon established in The Next Generation , and literally everything else in the Trek franchise up until that point. By saying the new prequel film takes place “decades before” the first reboot, this could hypothetically mean that the movie takes place in both the Prime and Kelvin timelines simultaneously.

TLDR: The Trek timeline diverged in the first reboot movie, beginning in the year 2233, so, a story set even a few decades before that divergence, in the 2210s or 2220s or earlier, would be consistent with all versions of Trek's future history. Presumably, the “origin story” won’t take place in the two decades between the prologue of the 2009 film (2233) and the main story (2258), because honestly, even for hardcore Trekkies that’s a big canon headache. So, sometime in the early 2200s, but before the 2230s is probably the best bet. And, even if the movie was set a bit earlier than that — say in the late 2180s or 2190s — we’d still be dealing with a very early point of Starfleet history that has never been depicted and that we know almost nothing about. Hence, if you squint — and don’t think about the prequel series Enterprise (2151-2161) too much — then yes, we’re looking at an origin story in which pretty much anything could happen.

Star Trek “origin” movie release date

LOS ANGELES - DECEMBER 1: The USS Enterprise during the opening credit for in the STAR TREK: The Ori...

One of the earliest shots of the USS Enterprise — from the 1964 Star Trek pilot episode “The Cage.” The new prequel film will likely be set half a century before this moment.

While some tweets out of CinemaCon seemed to indicate that the new Star Trek movie could hit next year in 2025 , TrekMovie confirmed that the “Untitled Star Trek Origin Story,” is on the Paramount slate for 2025 or 2026. TrekMovie also predicted that 2026 is more likely, writing, “If Paramount can move fast enough they could get the origin movie into theaters by 2026 — in time for Star Trek’s 60th anniversary.” Then again, 2025 is not impossible, it’s just cutting it a little close.

It should also be noted that the entire corporate entity of Paramount is reportedly close to a merger that would see it purchased by Skydance Media, the same production company behind the three existing J.J. Abrams-produced Star Trek reboots. If that deal is finalized soon, then, yes, this Star Trek feature film might actually happen very quickly. And if it doesn’t, there will still be plenty of new Star Trek shows streaming , not to mention the first direct-to-streaming standalone Star Trek movie, Section 31 , starring Michelle Yeoh, which will hit Paramount+ sometime later this year.

All the reboot Star Trek films (2009-2016) are currently streaming on Paramount+. The previous ten films (1979-2002) are all on Max.

Phasers on Stun!: How the Making — and Remaking — of Star Trek Changed the World

Ryan Britt's new book on the history of Star Trek's biggest changes. From the '60s show to the movies to 'TNG,' to 'Discovery,' 'Picard,' Strange New Worlds,' and beyond!

  • Science Fiction

star trek historical timeline

star trek historical timeline

Star Trek's origin film officially announced; Here's everything we know so far

S tar Trek's origin film has formally been announced by Paramount Pictures. The film, which will apparently tell the story of the Federations' founding and explore more of the franchise's early depths, is set for a 2025 release date. More than likely in the third or fourth quarter (summer or winter).

This film is not to be confused with Chris Pine's Star Trek 4, which continues to remain in a gestation period, though there is a concerted effort to get the film out now more than ever. This film is a prequel of sorts, but while it's being suggested it's a prequel for the main timeline, it may be more in line with the Kelvin Timeline.

We've heard different reports on the matter, but this does seem to be a prequel to the 2009 film, though this is all speculation until more information comes out. It may be a film that seeks to combine the two series into a singular point in time, but that's anyone's guess at this time and if that's the case, it won't predate the adventures of Jonathan Archer.

That's speculation; what do we know? Until something changes, we know that this is not a remake of a prior Star Trek story, like Pine's Star Trek, aka the Kelvin Timeline, was. This is supposedly a brand new, and original story. Even if it's set in the Kelvin Timeline, it'll still be its own story, not borrowing elements from a previously established Star Trek plot.

We know that Star Wars: Andor writer Toby Haynes is going to direct the project, with Seth Grahame-Smith of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter will write the script. We also know that there is no formal title yet for the project, and no cast announced just yet.

And while there is no release date beyond 2025, we do know that the project will begin in earnest soon, at some point in 2024. An exact time period has not yet been announced.

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as Star Trek's origin film officially announced; Here's everything we know so far .

Star Trek's origin film officially announced; Here's everything we know so far

Memory Alpha

Federation history

  • View history

The history of the United Federation of Planets is the tale of an extraordinary interstellar alliance , slowly forged from the convergence of Human , Vulcan , Tellarite , and Andorian histories , and those of its other member species .

  • 1 21st century
  • 2.1 Humanity enters the galactic stage
  • 2.2 Turmoil on Vulcan
  • 2.3 Babel Crisis
  • 2.4 The idea of a Coalition of Planets
  • 2.5 Earth-Romulan War
  • 2.6 Foundation and early development
  • 3.1 Constant expansion and setbacks
  • 3.2 Uneasy Federation-Romulan relations
  • 3.3 Federation-Klingon wars and the way to peace
  • 3.4 Inexplicable threats
  • 4.1 Federation-Klingon détente, minor conflicts, and parasite infiltration
  • 4.2 The Borg threat
  • 4.3 Destabilization of the Alpha Quadrant
  • 4.4.1 Outbreak of the War and retreat of the Federation
  • 4.4.2 Counter-offensive, stalemate, and the Ba'ku-incident
  • 4.4.3 Raid on San Francisco, turning of the tide and victory
  • 4.5 The Pathfinder Project and the return of the USS Voyager
  • 4.6 Reman coup d'état and changing relations with Romulus
  • 4.7 Ban of artificial lifeforms
  • 5.1.1 32nd century
  • 7.1 Background information
  • 7.2 Related topics
  • 7.3 External link

21st century [ ]

Vulcan captain, first contact

Official Human-Vulcan first contact in 2063 was a pivotal step toward the Federation

Rising from the ashes of World War III , the seeds of the Federation were brought forth in 2063 , when Doctor Zefram Cochrane created Earth 's first warp-capable ship, the Phoenix . Zefram Cochrane's historic flight attracted a passing Vulcan ship, the T'Plana-Hath . This event, known as First Contact , occurred on April 5, 2063 , and not only led the Vulcans to assist Humanity to eradicate poverty , disease , and the causes thereof by the 2110s , but also brought the nations of Earth to unite the entire planet under a United Earth Government by 2150 . In an alternate timeline created by the Borg traveling back in time, this event occurred slightly differently. Though in this timeline the Borg had traveled back in time to prevent its launch and assimilate Earth, thanks to the efforts of the USS Enterprise -E , Cochrane was able to make his historic flight. ( Star Trek: First Contact ; VOY : " Friendship One "; ENT : " Broken Bow ", " Regeneration "; TNG : " Attached ")

In several alternate timelines in which Earth history had been changed earlier than 2063, the Federation did not form as it actually occurred. This included a timeline in which Nazi Germany won World War II and another one in which Gabriel Bell did not intervene during the Bell Riots . ( TOS : " The City on the Edge of Forever "; DS9 : " Past Tense, Part I ")

22nd century [ ]

Humanity enters the galactic stage [ ].

Zefram Cochrane, 2119

Zefram Cochrane, Henry Archer, and others at the inauguration of the Warp Five complex in 2119

Although Earth's initial warp development progressed slowly, due to the caution of their Vulcan "mentors", the Warp Five program proceeded steadily, with major milestones being the inauguration of the Warp Five Complex in 2119 and achieving warp 2.5 in 2143 . Earth's first warp five ship , Enterprise NX-01 , commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer , was launched in 2151 , heralding a new era defined by encountering numerous new species, like the Andorians , and initiating those friendships which eventually led to the Federation. ( ENT : " Broken Bow ", " The Andorian Incident ", " First Flight ")

Turmoil on Vulcan [ ]

The Vulcan Reformation of 2154 represented another pivotal step towards an interstellar union, prompting a new willingness on Vulcan 's part to engage in closer collaboration with neighboring species, including Humans and Andorians. When the United Earth Embassy on Vulcan fell victim to a terrorist attack, the Syrrannites , a group of Vulcans who believed their race had lost their interpretation of Surak 's teachings, were initially blamed. As Archer learned, however, this was just an elaborate attempt by the Romulan-influenced Vulcan High Command to round up the Syrannites as well as to launch a preemptive strike on Andoria based on falsified intelligence. Archer and the new Syrannite leader, T'Pau , delivered an ancient artifact, the Kir'Shara , to the High Command, initiating a reformation of Vulcan policy and philosophy, not only allowing Humanity to finally stand on its own but creating a new, trustworthy and more supportive Vulcan government, paving the way for the planet's eventual participation in the founding of the Federation. ( ENT : " The Forge ", " Awakening ", " Kir'Shara ")

Babel Crisis [ ]

Gral and Shran call a truce

Captain Jonathan Archer unites the Andorians and Tellarites in order to form a joint fleet with the Vulcans and Humans in 2154

By late 2154, the Romulan Star Empire perceived the developing partnership between Vulcan, Earth, and its neighbors as a threat. The Romulans' attempts to destabilize the region led to the Babel Crisis . Two Romulan drone ships camouflaged themselves to impersonate various other vessels, spreading distrust and hostility among local powers around Earth and Vulcan. However, Archer made alliances with the Andorians, Tellarites, and Vulcans to find and destroy the drone ships, thereby altering the result of this Romulan mission to the exact opposite of what it was intended to achieve. ( ENT : " Babel One ", " United ", " The Aenar ")

The idea of a Coalition of Planets [ ]

Coalition of Planets, 2155

In 2155, the first meetings to draft a charter for the Coalition of Planets took place, stating an integral precursor for the later foundation of the Federation

With the averted escalation of the Babel Crisis, Earth and many other worlds realized the value of their joint work and were convening a conference in 2155 to discuss the formation of a Coalition of Planets . Yet this was opposed by a xenophobic isolationist group called Terra Prime under John Frederick Paxton , attempting to destroy the Coalition and convince all races that they could never live together. However, Enterprise was able to foil their plan to destroy Starfleet Command and Paxton was detained. As all the races were about to abandon the idea of the Coalition, Archer was able to make a passionate speech to all members in which he forwarded the notion that, as explorers, they should explore the galaxy together. ( ENT : " Demons ", " Terra Prime ")

Earth-Romulan War [ ]

Several governments represented at the conference became welded together in 2156 , when the conflict with the Romulan Star Empire escalated into the Earth-Romulan War . A humiliating defeat of the Romulans by an alliance of Earth, Vulcan, Andorian, and Tellarite forces at the Battle of Cheron in 2160 effectively ended the war and led to the establishment of the Romulan Neutral Zone between the two power blocs. ( TOS : " Balance of Terror "; TNG : " The Defector "; ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II ", " These Are the Voyages... ")

Foundation and early development [ ]

Federation founding ceremony, 2161

Dignitary Jonathan Archer enters the founding ceremony of the Federation in San Francisco in 2161

In 2161 , the year after the Earth-Romulan War was decided, the old war allies Earth, Vulcan, Andoria, and Tellar founded the United Federation of Planets by signing a treaty in San Francisco on Earth. The day of the official founding was later celebrated as Federation Day . Additionally, a new Federation Starfleet was officially established with a charter "to boldly go where no man has gone before." Starfleet Academy was established shortly after. ( ENT : " Zero Hour ", " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II ", " These Are the Voyages... "; TNG : " The First Duty ", " The Outcast "; DS9 : " Paradise Lost "; VOY : " Homestead ")

Over the coming decades, vessels like the Archon , Franklin , Horizon , Essex , and the unmanned Quadros-1 probe explored space and expanded the young Federation's sphere of influence. Moreover, the Daedalus -class was an important ship design within the fledgling Federation Starfleet until its retirement in 2196 . The concept of starbases as logistical hubs for Starfleet's exploratory and defensive tasks also took hold very quickly, with Starbase 12 being in operation as of 2167 . ( TOS : " The Return of the Archons ", " A Piece of the Action "; TNG : " Power Play "; DS9 : " Emissary "; Star Trek Beyond )

Jonathan Archer, 2161

Jonathan Archer was Federation President from 2184 to 2192

Jonathan Archer's role in these early years was an important one, too, as he became Federation Ambassador to Andoria in 2169 and served as Federation Councillor in 2175 . He was eventually elected Federation President in 2184 , stepping down eight years later in 2192 at age 80. ( ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II ")

In the late 22nd century, the New World Economy took shape on Earth. Material needs and money became obsolete and to improve oneself became the challenge and driving force for most Humans. However, the Federation and its citizens continued to use monetary equivalents like Federation credits and latinum , both internally and externally. ( TNG : " The Neutral Zone ", " The Price "; DS9 : " In the Cards "; VOY : " Dark Frontier "; ST : " The Escape Artist "; Star Trek: First Contact )

23rd century [ ]

Constant expansion and setbacks [ ].

The Federation's strive for discovery remained unbroken as exemplified by months-long sleeper ship missions to deep-space destinations, which were being conducted as late as 2210 . With such strife as well as steady scientific progress, like the invention of the duotronic computer in 2243 and the commissioning of new powerful exploration vessels of the Constitution -class , like the USS Enterprise in 2245 , the Federation continued its constant expansion throughout the first half of the 23rd century . By 2267 , the Federation was described as being " on a thousand planets and spreading out. " ( TOS : " Metamorphosis ", " The Ultimate Computer "; TAS : " The Counter-Clock Incident "; VOY : " 11:59 ")

Kodos the Executioner

Governor Kodos of Tarsus IV, who achieved infamy by ordering the execution of 4,000 colonists in 2246, one of the worst crimes in Federation history

In contrast to that, one of the worst crimes in Federation history occurred in 2246 , when half of the 8,000 colonists on Tarsus IV were put to death at the orders of Governor Kodos during a food crisis inflicted by an exotic fungus . Incidents such as Kodos' genocide were not isolated, as the vastness of space made it difficult for the Federation to control corruption within their ranks. The crew of the Enterprise uncovered experimentation and torture at the Tantalus Penal Colony and violations of the Prime Directive committed on Ekos and Omega IV . ( TOS : " The Conscience of the King ", " Dagger of the Mind ", " Patterns of Force ", " The Omega Glory ")

The Federation's constant expansion also meant inevitable tensions with neighboring spacefaring races. Inadvertent trespasses into Gorn and Tholian territories in 2267 and 2268 , respectively, led to initial hostilities, but their escalation could be prevented in both cases. ( TOS : " Arena ", " The Tholian Web ")

Uneasy Federation-Romulan relations [ ]

Romulan Commander defeated in 2266

After his defeat in 2266, the Commander of the Romulan flagship bestows his respect to the victor.

In 2266 , the Romulan Star Empire emerged from seclusion to test the strength of its old enemy, the Federation. The Romulan Praetor ordered his finest flagship , a Bird-of-Prey that was equipped with a cloak as well as a powerful new plasma torpedo system and was under the leadership of an experienced commander , to violate the Romulan Neutral Zone and attack the Federation's observation outposts that lined the border in Sector Z-6 . Finally, the marauding Romulan vessel was intercepted and defeated by the USS Enterprise before success could be reported, thereby marking the first confirmed visual observation of the Romulans' Vulcan-like appearance and proving the Federation's strength. ( TOS : " Balance of Terror ")

Romulans surround the Enterprise, remastered

After the Federation had proven its strength, the Romulan Star Empire simply tried to outnumber strong vessels like the USS Enterprise in 2268

After this, the Romulans vigorously patrolled their side of the Neutral Zone and further encounters with trespassing Starfleet vessels were countered by the Star Empire by simply outnumbering their opponent. In 2268, despite this fact, the Enterprise managed to steal a cloaking device from a patrolling Romulan cruiser in order to assess the threat it posed to the Federation. ( TOS : " The Deadly Years ", " The Enterprise Incident ")

Despite these hostile encounters, the Federation managed to maintain a certain level of diplomatic interaction with the Romulans. In 2267, the Federation, the Romulan Star Empire, and the Klingon Empire jointly established a colony on Nimbus III , declaring it the "planet of galactic peace". The project however, quickly became an embarrassing failure for all three governments, although regular meetings between representatives did take place there for at least the next twenty years. The following year, the Polaric Test Ban Treaty was signed, banning research into polaric ion energy . ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ; VOY : " Time and Again ")

The alternate reality diverged in 2233 following the incursion of the Narada from 2387 of the prime reality. The USS Kelvin 's encounter with this formidable ship prematurely exposed the Romulans' appearance to the Federation, whose officers became aware of their history with the Vulcans and trained to become fluent in all three of their dialects by 2258 . The Narada resurfaced that year with red matter seized from the Jellyfish which was used to destroy Vulcan , but the crew were stopped from destroying the rest of the Federation. As Christopher Pike was informed the Narada was not affiliated with the Empire, the attacks did not raise tensions between the Federation and the contemporary Romulans. ( Star Trek )

Federation-Klingon wars and the way to peace [ ]

Time crystal

A time crystal being studied on Doctari Alpha in 2236 as part of Section 31's clandestine research into time travel

The most notable conflict in the 23rd century , however, was with the Klingon Empire, as the Federation was quickly expanding, and its territory began to approach the Empire's borders . Although tensions had existed between the Klingons and the Federation since the latter's founding, a tense cold war developed in 2223 . While communication between both sides since the mid-22nd century was so rare that barely any Federation citizens have ever seen a Klingon, territorial disputes arose, e.g., over the Archanis sector . By the 2230s , an arms race took place that included Klingon research into time travel to which Section 31 , a clandestine intelligence agency dating back to the original chartering of Starfleet, responded with its own time travel project . However, the project got halted after a critical component was thought lost due to a Klingon raid on a Section 31 research group on Doctari Alpha in 2236 . This raid, as well as the inconclusive Battle of Donatu V in 2245 , remained violent exceptions, however, as both sides refrained from committing to open warfare for the time being. ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ; TOS : " The Trouble with Tribbles "; DIS : " The Vulcan Hello ", " The Red Angel "; DS9 : " Apocalypse Rising ")

Following Vulcan's destruction in the year 2258 of the alternate reality, Alexander Marcus began seeking ways to better defend the Federation, particularly against the Klingon Empire with which he believed war was inevitable. After finding the SS Botany Bay , he forcibly recruited Khan Noonien Singh , but Khan turned on him a year later and fled to Qo'noS . The crew of the USS Enterprise came to apprehend him, but their confrontation with the Klingons there did nothing to improve Federation-Klingon relations. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

Discovery crew honored in Paris

Michael Burnham is honored by the Starfleet admiralty in Paris in 2257

In 2256 , a brief but fierce open war was provoked by the actions of T'Kuvma , a Klingon noble who sought to reunite the disparate Klingon Houses by portraying the Federation as a mortal, encroaching enemy. T'Kuvma was martyred at the opening battle , the escalation of which was also made possible by the aggressive posture of Starfleet Commander Michael Burnham . The war concluded in 2257 , when Starfleet desperately resorted to a direct assault on Qo'noS after it had lost tens of thousands of lifes, one third of its ships, and 20% of Federation territory, including Starbase 1 , were under Klingon control. Without official orders, the commander of the assault planted a hydro bomb on the Klingon homeworld, whose detonator Burnham handed to L'Rell , an early follower of T'Kuvma, who used it to seize power over the Empire, end the war, and continue her former mentor's work of uniting the disparate Great Houses. Commander Burnham was subsequently exonerated for her failings at the beginning of the war and honored for her actions during its course. ( DIS : " Context Is for Kings ", " The War Without, The War Within ", " Will You Take My Hand? ")

In the months after the war that had cost one third of its ships, the number of active vessels maintained by the Federation Starfleet was about 7,000. Starfleet's Section 31 also intervened in Klingon politics to stabilize L'Rell's chancellorship, thereby preventing renewed Klingon hostilities. ( DIS : " Point of Light ", " Perpetual Infinity ")

USS Enterprise-D7 face off

The USS Enterprise is facing off against several Klingon D7-class battle cruisers at Organia in 2267

In 2267, ongoing negotiations between the two sides were in danger of breaking down, and renewed open warfare was becoming an unwelcome likelihood. After the Federation refused the demands of the Empire to withdraw from all disputed regions along their mutual border, the Klingons launched an immediate offensive, seizing several planets including the strategically important Organia . Not willing to accept the bloodshed, the powerful incorporeal inhabitants of Organia brought about an abrupt end to the war by rendering the weapons of both sides nonfunctional and with the chairman of the Organian Council of Elders appearing to both the Federation Council and the Klingon High Council announcing the unilateral imposition of the Treaty of Organia . Establishing ground rules for further interaction between the two powers, the treaty helped to regulate disputes like that over Sherman's Planet some months after its signing. Besides, the aforementioned founding of the Nimbus III colony by the Federation, the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Star Empire took place in the same year. In addition to the failure of Nimbus III, however, a number of skirmishes and proxy wars continued to occur between the Federation and the Klingons over the next decade, including encounters at Capella IV , Neural , the Tellun system , and Beta XII-A . In 2285 , further distrust arose when the Empire lost a ship which, by itself, became responsible for the destruction of two Starfleet vessels during its attempt to acquire a new Federation technology called the Genesis Device . ( TOS : " Errand of Mercy ", " The Trouble with Tribbles ", " Friday's Child ", " A Private Little War ", " Elaan of Troyius ", " Day of the Dove "; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier )

KhitomerConference2293-2

In 2293, the Khitomer Conference initiated a new era of peace between the Klingon Empire and the Federation

With further meetings remaining without substantial results, like that at Korvat colony in 2289 , the tense relationship with the Klingons stagnated. The situation abruptly changed in 2293 , after the disastrous explosion of the Klingon moon Praxis caused severe economic problems for the Klingon Empire. The Klingons quickly approached the Federation, seeking a full peace treaty, leading to the Khitomer Conference and the Khitomer Accords in the very same year. In the face of this fundamental shift of power, the Romulans attempted diplomatic subterfuge through Ambassador Nanclus ' role in the Khitomer conspiracy , albeit without success. ( DS9 : " Blood Oath "; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ) It would become a defining Romulan motive of the coming decades to re-shift the balance of power by perturbing the peace brought by the Khitomer Accords. ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ; TNG : " Reunion ", " The Mind's Eye ")

Inexplicable threats [ ]

Aside from these conflicts, the Federation faced more serious menaces during the second half of the 23rd century from genuinely alien threats. The Enterprise discovered sites of mass destruction and death caused by the probe Nomad , a gigantic space amoeba , and a weapon of destruction dubbed the planet killer , and put a stop to them. The Enterprise also faced off against the internal threat of the M-5 multitronic unit , which had turned on its creators. ( TOS : " The Changeling ", " The Immunity Syndrome ", " The Doomsday Machine ", " The Ultimate Computer ")

Cartwright and President at headquarters

Admiral Cartwright and the Federation President face the effects on Earth by an alien probe of unknown origin in 2286

Earth, the capital world, was nearly devastated on two occasions. The first occurred in the 2270s , when a massive machine lifeform called V'ger threatened to destroy all biological life on Earth, which it saw as a planetary infestation. Fortunately, the attack was narrowly averted by the USS Enterprise , which was able to reprogram V'ger . In 2286 , an alien probe of unknown origin wreaked ecological havoc while trying to contact an extinct species of Humpback whale by transmitting massive amounts of energy into Earth's oceans . Again, the crew of the late Enterprise was able to rescue a pair of these whales from the past, which then, after being released to the Pacific Ocean of the year 2286, replied to the probe. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture ; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )

24th century [ ]

Federation-klingon détente, minor conflicts, and parasite infiltration [ ].

In 2311 , a terrible confrontation between the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire, costing thousands of lives, occurred. This so-called Tomed Incident led to the signing of the Treaty of Algeron , which redefined the Romulan Neutral Zone and additionally banned Federation research into developing a cloaking device as well as use of any such device. It also was the last official contact between the Federation and the Romulans for the next fifty-three years . Still, the Federation maintained a number of outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone and, in one instance, dispatched two starships to an outpost which had detected seven Romulan battle cruisers nearby. ( TNG : " Angel One ", " The Neutral Zone ", " The Pegasus "; ENT : " These Are the Voyages... "

USS Enterprise-C, dorsal profile

The actions of the USS Enterprise -C at the Battle of Narendra III in 2344 proved pivotal in cementing the alliance with the Klingon Empire

During the first half of the 24th century , the peace brought by the Khitomer Accords became somewhat rocky again and, by the 2340s , another war seemed to be on the horizon. However, the courageous sacrifice by the crew of the USS Enterprise -C , who gave their lives in defense of a Klingon outpost under attack by the Romulans at the Battle of Narendra III in 2344 , changed the setting. Being regarded as an honorable act, the incident enormously improved the Federation's image with the Klingon Empire. Although relations between the Klingon Empire and the Federation were still described as "not too cordial" around 2349 , the Treaty of Alliance was signed by 2353 , establishing a firm alliance between both powers. ( TNG : " Reunion ", " Yesterday's Enterprise "; VOY : " Faces ")

In the 2340s, 2350s , and 2360s , the Federation had to face several threats by various opposing parties.

The Federation-Cardassian War was one of the earliest and most severe of these conflicts. The war raged in a series of conflicts of various sizes, as the two powers struggled to protect their individual interests, with a major incident being the Setlik III massacre in 2347 . The conflict was finally settled with the Jankata Accord and the Federation-Cardassian Treaty of 2370 , creating a Demilitarized Zone between the two powers. This treaty, however, also changed the Cardassian border, placing some previous Federation worlds under Cardassian jurisdiction. Although the Cardassians agreed to allow Federation colonists to remain on some of these planets such as Dorvan V , resistance soon formed among the settlers. They quickly organized themselves into the militant Maquis , which continuously conducted terror attacks against both the Cardassian Union and the Federation almost until the outbreak of the Dominion War. ( TNG : " The Wounded ", " Ensign Ro ", " Journey's End "; DS9 : " The Maquis, Part I ", " The Maquis, Part II ")

Another incident occurred in 2353 , when the Federation was in a conflict with the Tholians , who attacked a starbase resulting in the death of the entire base crew except for one one survivor . ( TNG : " The Icarus Factor ")

In the late 2350s, the Galen border conflict was another series of skirmishes between the Federation and the Talarian government , fought over a three- year period. Although technologically inferior to the Federation, the Talarians compensated by a willingness to fight to the death and the employment of unconventional guerrilla tactics. The conflict took place over several border planets , including Castal I and Galen IV , which was overrun and destroyed by Talarian forces in 2357 . Eventually, a peace agreement was signed between the two powers, which included the return of all prisoners of war . ( TNG : " Suddenly Human ")

During the early 2360s, the Federation was embroiled in a war with the Tzenkethi . ( DS9 : " Homefront ", " Paradise Lost ")

Starfleet command, 2364

Starfleet Command under the influence of neural parasites in 2364

In 2364, the Federation faced a serious menace, when alien parasitic beings tried to infiltrate Starfleet Command . After the parasites managed to acquire high-ranking Starfleet admirals as hosts, they started to pave the way for an invasion of the Federation by subtly ordering the replacement of the command staffs of numerous outposts and colonies. The new staffs consisted of persons who had been in recent physical contact with Starfleet Command and thus were likely also infected. Admirals Gregory Quinn and Norah Satie proved instrumental in uncovering the alien plot and, with help from the crew of the USS Enterprise -D , a cure against the parasitic infestation was found. However, although the parasite's mother was successfully destroyed, it managed to transmit a homing message before its death. ( TNG : " Coming of Age ", " Conspiracy ", " The Drumhead ")

The Borg threat [ ]

Borg cube destroys the Melbourne

The Battle of Wolf 359 in 2367 , one of the bloodiest conflicts in Federation history

The worst threat to the Federation came, however, when it made first contact with the Borg in 2365 . It was on that occasion that it was discovered that the Borg were responsible for the mysterious destruction of several Federation and Romulan outposts on the edge of the Neutral Zone a year earlier. The Borg were an advanced race of hybrid cybernetic and biological beings who possessed a level of military technology far beyond that of anything known to the Federation. One year later, at the Battle of Wolf 359 , the Federation's confidence came crashing down when a single Borg cube effortlessly sliced through an armada of forty starships . Although the Borg invasion was ultimately defeated, the effect on Federation morale was incalculable. After Wolf 359, Starfleet started to put more effort into defensive technology, which became apparent in new ship classes like the Sovereign -class , Defiant -class , and Prometheus -class , which were more combat-focused than the traditional research vessels that Starfleet employed. The availability of these new ships ultimately proved to be pivotal in the Dominion War . ( TNG : " The Neutral Zone ", " Q Who ", " The Best of Both Worlds "; DS9 : " The Search, Part I "; VOY : " Message in a Bottle ")

Borg cube engaged at Sector 001

In contrast to the Battle of Wolf 359, the Federation emerged victorious in the Battle of Sector 001 in 2373

Another skirmish with the Borg took place in 2373 , when another Borg cube attacked Earth. After Deep Space 5 reported the destruction of the Federation colony on Ivor Prime by the Borg, the first battle took place in the Typhon sector . Since the Federation fleet, under the command of Admiral Hayes , was not able to stop the Borg, the final battle was fought in Sector 001, in Earth's orbit, where the cube was eventually destroyed. Shortly before its destruction, however, the cube launched a sphere with a queen aboard, which subsequently traveled to the year 2063 in order to prevent first contact and assimilate Earth. The USS Enterprise -E was able to follow the sphere, kill the queen, and assured that history transpired as it should. ( ENT : " Regeneration ", Star Trek: First Contact )

Destabilization of the Alpha Quadrant [ ]

In 2370, between the two attacks of the Borg, the Federation came in contact with the Dominion , a hegemonic major power from the Gamma Quadrant led by the Founders and first encountered through the Bajoran wormhole . ( DS9 : " The Jem'Hadar ", " The Search, Part I ", " The Search, Part II ")

Ultimately, the Dominion planned to bring its version of "order" to the, in their view, "chaotic" Alpha Quadrant , starting a cold war covering a three year period of Dominion-orchestrated successes at destabilizing the Alpha and Beta Quadrants .

Jaresh-Inyo

Federation President Jaresh-Inyo in 2372

A primary tool of manipulation for the Dominion was the replacement of key persons by Founder- Changelings . In that manner, the neutralization of the Romulan Tal Shiar and the Cardassian Obsidian Order was accomplished by luring their fleets into a trap at the Battle of the Omarion Nebula in 2371 . Secretly hoping for their success at destroying the Founders' homeworld , Starfleet chose not to interfere with the Romulan-Cardassian attack plans. ( DS9 : " The Die is Cast ") Also in 2371, a Founder, who had replaced Federation Ambassador Krajensky , almost managed to instigate a new conflict between the Federation and the Tzenkethi. ( DS9 : " The Adversary ". In 2372 , a Changeling bombed the Antwerp Conference between the Federation and the Romulans on Earth, giving rise to massive paranoia within the Federation government as well as Starfleet Headquarters . Since Federation President Jaresh-Inyo initially blocked any extended security measures to preserve the "Paradise Earth", Starfleet Admiral Leyton tried to take advantage of the situation by staging a coup d'état . However, after it was learned that only four Changelings were currently operating on Earth, the coup failed, showing to the Federation the urgent need to resolve its inner conflicts so it could stand its ground against the Dominion. ( DS9 : " Homefront ", " Paradise Lost ")

Besides these manipulations, the Dominion was able to trigger a war between the Klingons and the Cardassians in early 2372 ( see Klingon-Cardassian War ). Being the first major strain on its alliance with the Klingon Empire, the Federation condemned this war, which led Klingon Chancellor Gowron to withdraw from the Khitomer Accords. In early 2373, the Dominion managed to deteriorate Klingon-Federation relations further into open war, ultimately breaking out about their old dispute over the Archanis sector , with battles fought on Archanis IV and Ganalda IV amongst others. ( see: Federation-Klingon War (2372-73) ). When it was discovered that Klingon warmonger General Martok had actually been replaced by a Founder too, the Federation-Klingon war was ended and a cease fire signed. However, relations remained strained, with the Klingons at least once breaking the ceasefire and invading Ajilon Prime . ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ", " Broken Link ", " Apocalypse Rising ", " Nor the Battle to the Strong ")

Khitomer Accords

Facing the imminent threat of a Dominion attack, Klingon Chancellor Gowron re-signs the Khitomer Accords in 2373

With the Dominion gaining a physical foothold in the Alpha Quadrant through the joining of the Cardassian Union, several months later in mid-2373, the Khitomer Accords were put back into effect, since war seemed inevitable and only a Federation-Klingon alliance could hope to stand against the forces of the Dominion. ( DS9 : " By Inferno's Light ")

The Dominion War [ ]

Outbreak of the war and retreat of the federation [ ].

After settling the hostilities with the Klingon Empire and facing considerable losses from the recent Borg attack, the Federation had depleted its means of preventing an all-out conflict with the Dominion. The ensuing Dominion War was the bloodiest conflict that the Federation had ever been drawn into, up until then, and caused major changes on the political stage of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.

The fortification of the Cardassian Union, combined with the securing of non-aggression treaties with notable powers such as the Miradorn , Tholians , Bajorans , and, most importantly, with the Romulans, made Dominion intentions clear. The Federation was forced to act, but could not present the aggressive stance of something so bold as a preemptive strike. Instead, the decision was made to mine the Bajoran wormhole, to prevent further Dominion reinforcements from arriving. ( DS9 : " Rapture ", " Call to Arms ")

DS9 under attack 2

Deep Space 9 is attacked and occupied by the Dominion in late 2373

The maneuver was sure to provoke the Dominion into attack and this end was achieved. Despite a seemingly successful negotiation between Weyoun and Captain Sisko (which, if put into action, would have limited Dominion vessels from the Gamma Quadrant to medical and economic supplies, to help the Cardassian Union rebuild), the Dominion prepared to attack Deep Space 9 . Although the Dominion forces arrived too late to prevent the minefield from being successfully deployed and activated, thus preventing reinforcements from arriving in the Alpha Quadrant, the Dominion continued its assault on Deep Space 9, eventually forcing all Federation forces aboard to evacuate in late 2373, and took over the station immediately after its abandonment by the Federation.

Countering the attack on Deep Space 9, the Federation-Klingon alliance dispatched a successful task force to attack the Dominion shipyards at Torros III , setting back Dominion ship production for months. ( DS9 : " Call to Arms ", " Behind the Lines ")

During the first few months of 2374 , the Dominion was leading an extremely successful campaign against the allies, forcing them to retreat on nearly every front. In an attempt to stop the Dominion's advance into their territory, the Federation dispatched its Seventh Fleet to the Tyra system ; a force composed of 112 vessels of which a mere fourteen ships were able to make it back to their lines - a disastrous defeat for the Federation. ( DS9 : " A Time to Stand ").

Counter-offensive, stalemate, and the Ba'ku-incident [ ]

Federation fleet prepares to engage Dominion fleet

The Federation forces leave Starbase 375 to retake Deep Space 9 in 2374

By the second quarter of that year, it was revealed to the Federation that the Dominion was close to deactivating the minefield blocking the wormhole, and Captain Sisko told Starfleet that the station's recapture had to be seen as the top priority of the war. Admiral Cobum objected to the plan, fearing that too many ships would be diverted away from Earth, allowing the Dominion to attack it, but Sisko was able to convince him otherwise. With only three days before the minefield could be deactivated, however, the Federation was forced to launch what ships they had been able to gather to attack Deep Space 9 and start Operation Return . A Federation fleet of over six hundred vessels, eventually aided by Klingon forces, enabled the USS Defiant to break through the Dominion's lines, consisting of 1,254 ships, and reach Deep Space 9, where Captain Sisko was able to convince the Prophets to entirely wipe out the Dominion reinforcements while they were traveling through the wormhole. With no reinforcements on their way, and the fleet battle in favor of the Federation-Klingon forces, the Dominion was forced to withdraw from the station. ( DS9 : " Sacrifice of Angels ")

Battle of Betazed schematic

A schematic showing the Dominion's capture of Betazed, which represented a major blow to Federation morale

Despite their successful retaking of Deep Space 9, the Dominion was able to occupy Betazed during the Battle of Betazed in late 2374, although the Federation's Tenth Fleet had been assigned to defend the planet but was caught out of position on a training exercise. With the capture of this system, the Dominion was in a position to invade Vulcan, Andor, Tellar, and Alpha Centauri . Furthermore, the Federation was suffering a manpower shortage after sustaining massive casualties up to this point, and many of their shipyards were still being rebuilt. The Dominion's shipyards, on the other hand, were producing at 100% capacity and legions of Jem'Hadar were being bred at an incredible rate. In order to turn the tide by bringing the Romulan Star Empire into the war, Captain Sisko undertook a successful ploy and the Romulans joined the Federation Alliance . ( DS9 : " In the Pale Moonlight ")

With Romulan reinforcement, the Federation Alliance somewhat regained the initiative, quickly recapturing important Federation worlds like Benzar , and in late 2374 for the first time managed to take Dominion territory in the victorious First Battle of Chin'toka . ( DS9 : " The Reckoning ", " Tears of the Prophets " The first half of 2375 was spent with neither side offering a firm push forward into the other. One very important event that changed the shape of the war was occurring behind the front lines: a debilitating disease was attacking the Founders. It was later claimed that Section 31 had a hand in the infection. The Founders' abilities as leaders were being compromised just as their military was taking severe punishment from the emboldened alliance. ( DS9 : " Image in the Sand ", " Treachery, Faith and the Great River ")

Ru'afo and Dougherty, 2375

The ill-advised cooperation with the Son'a in 2375 represented an ethic re-orientation of the Federation Council

Nevertheless, the war and the attacks of the Borg had already caused enormous losses. Seeking new strength and momentum, the Federation Council 's policy changed and the admission of new members was accelerated, like with the Evora , whose homeworld was declared a protectorate the year after they achieved warp drive . First and foremost, however, the Council's ethic decisions became more questionable, even compromising the principles upon which the Federation had been founded. This posture led to the decision to allow the secret relocation of some six hundred Ba'ku in order to harness the life-prolonging metaphasic radiation of their planet 's ring system. This, however, could only be accomplished by using technology from the dubious Son'a who were also collaborating with the Dominion. Eventually and thanks to the actions of the USS Enterprise -E and her crew, the relocation could be delayed and the Federation Council finally halted the plan to start a top-level investigation. ( Star Trek: Insurrection ; DS9 : " Penumbra ")

Raid on San Francisco, turning of the tide and victory [ ]

San Francisco attacked

Starfleet Headquarters in ruins following the Breen attack on Earth in 2375

Some months later, the tide of the Dominion War turned against the Federation Alliance again, as the Breen Confederacy entered the war on the Dominion's side. The Breen even staged an attack on Earth , dealing a heavy blow to Federation morale. Starfleet and Romulan vessels were annihilated by the Breen's energy dampening weapons, forcing the Klingons – whose ships could be modified to be immune to the weapon - to hold the front lines on their own, until a countermeasure could be found. To compensate, Martok had his fleet operate in small battle groups, remaining cloaked until they engaged the enemy, in an attempt to keep them off balance. ( DS9 : " 'Til Death Do Us Part ", " The Changing Face of Evil ", " When It Rains... ")

With the emergence of a Cardassian Rebellion movement, the Federation Alliance was able to capture a Jem'Hadar attack ship fitted with one of the Breen's energy dampening weapons, so a counter measure was able to be produced for both Federation and Romulan ships, thus returning the tactical advantage into the Allies' favor. ( DS9 : " Tacking Into the Wind ", " The Dogs of War ")

Female Changeling signs Treaty of Bajor

The Treaty of Bajor is signed, officially ending the Dominion War in 2375

Although the Cardassian Rebellion was crushed soon afterwards, the Dominion made the decision to withdraw from Klingon, Federation, and Romulan territory and fortify essential Cardassian territories with a new defense perimeter behind which it could rearm and prepare for a new assault on the Alpha Quadrant. The Allied commanders determined that the best hope for success was an immediate invasion, before the Dominion was allowed to strengthen itself any further. A three-pronged attack into Cardassia was organized and authorized by Admiral William Ross , now-Chancellor Martok and Romulan General Velal . After the Alliance captured Cardassia Prime in the Battle of Cardassia , the war was officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Bajor and all Dominion forces returned to the Gamma Quadrant, with the exception of the head Founder who was to stand trial for war crimes. Eight hundred million Cardassian civilians were dead; the entire Cardassian Union had totally collapsed. The Alpha Quadrant had lost a major power and the effects on galactic politics continued to be seen for many years to come. ( DS9 : " The Dogs of War ", " What You Leave Behind ")

The Pathfinder Project and the return of the USS Voyager [ ]

USS Voyager escorted home

After seven years in the Delta Quadrant, Voyager returns home in 2378

During the late 2370s , the Federation was able to achieve a moral success as well as a breakthrough in extreme long-range communication, after the USS Voyager had gone missing in the Badlands in 2371. After it was discovered that the ship had actually been transported to the Delta Quadrant , the Starfleet Communications Research Center launched the so-called Pathfinder Project , which was able to establish two way communication with Voyager in 2376 . With its return to Earth in 2378 , Voyager not only brought with it a tremendous amount of information on the previously unexplored Delta Quadrant, including an immense amount of tactical data on the Borg , but also destroyed one of only six Borg transwarp hubs , defining a strategic blow to their infrastructure. ( VOY : " Message in a Bottle ", " Pathfinder ", " Life Line ", " Inside Man ", " Endgame ")

Reman coup d'état and changing relations with Romulus [ ]

Shinzon

Praetor Shinzon, whose attempt to wipe out Earth's population with thalaron radiation was thwarted by the USS Enterprise -E in 2379

In 2379 , one year after Voyager 's return home, the Federation was confronted with a tempting peace offer by the Romulan Star Empire, which, however, turned out to be one of the gravest threats Earth had to face during this century. After an apparent Reman uprising in the Star Empire and the assassination of the Romulan Senate , the new Praetor , Shinzon , was making an appeal for peace with the Federation. After Starfleet sent their flagship, the USS Enterprise -E under Captain Jean-Luc Picard , to Romulus , Shinzon's actual plan to install the Romulan Empire as the major power in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants by kidnapping Picard and eradicating all life on Earth by the use of a thalaron radiation weapon became clear. Fortunately, with the help of a few disillusioned Romulan ships, the Enterprise was able to destroy Shinzon's flagship , thwarting his plans and saving Earth from a devastating attack.

After the death of Shinzon, the initial approaches between the Federation and the Star Empire were continued and a new task force led by the USS Titan was dispatched to the Romulan Neutral Zone in order to begin talks with the Romulans. ( Star Trek Nemesis )

Mars attack

The devastating attack on Mars in 2385

In the 2380s , the Federation was asked for help in evacuating Romulus due to an impending supernova . Now-Admiral Picard lobbied on the Romulans' behalf and the Federation began constructing a rescue armada of ten-thousand warp-capable ferries . However, the move was very controversial, and fourteen species within the Federation threatened to pull out if the Romulans were not cut loose. After rogue synths attacked Mars in 2385 , which cost over 90,000 lives and destroyed the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards along with the rescue armada, the Federation not only banned all synthetic life but also withdrew its offer of assistance to the Romulans. Whilst unknown at the time, the attack had actually been orchestrated by the Tal Shiar cabal Zhat Vash , who wanted to push the Federation towards anti-synth legislation. ( PIC : " Remembrance ", " Maps and Legends ", " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ")

In 2387 , despite a desperate last-minute attempt by Ambassador Spock to stop the supernova with red matter , the supernova destroyed Romulus. The Romulan miner Nero subsequently blamed the Federation for the disaster and the death of his family. He and Spock subsequently went missing when their ships disappeared in the singularity created by the red matter. ( Star Trek )

Ban of artificial lifeforms [ ]

Because it could not be determined how or why the synths went rogue that led to the attack on Mars, the Federation Council placed a ban on the creation of synthetic lifeforms.

Since then, there were multiple cases against artificial lifeforms. The incident of the USS Ibn Majid happened in 2389 . Beautiful Flower and Jana were killed.

It was eventually lifted when it was discovered that the Zhat Vash was behind the attack on Mars. ( PIC : " Remembrance ", " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ")

25th century and beyond [ ]

In 2401 , a reformed Borg Collective led by a partially assimilated Agnes Jurati , requested provisional membership in the Federation in order to monitor a mysterious transwarp conduit whose creators were believed by the Borg to constitute a threat. ( PIC : " Farewell ")

Later, in the same year, during the Frontier Day celebration, Earth was attacked by a Starfleet whose ships' youngest crewmembers had been assimilated by the Borg through genetic reprogramming implanted into their transporter systems by rogue Changeling infiltrators. Shortly thereafter, a Borg cube was discovered in the atmosphere of Jupiter transmitting what little remained of the Borg collective's signal. Although Earth Spacedock was destroyed, and Earth's planetary shields fell, the cube was subsequently destroyed, freeing the ship's crews before they began orbital bombardment. ( PIC : " Võx "); ( PIC : " The Last Generation ")

By 2402 , Earth's defenses had been rebuilt and a brand-new technological solution had been implemented to screen for Changeling infiltrators. ( PIC : " The Last Generation ")

By the 26th century , races such as the Klingons, Ithenites , and Xindi had joined the Federation. In an alternate version of the 2550s , the Federation won the Battle of Procyon V against the Sphere-Builders and proved instrumental in reversing their invasion of the Milky Way Galaxy . ( ENT : " Azati Prime ")

Time travel and the Temporal Cold War [ ]

USS Relativity

Timeships like the USS Relativity from the 29th century serve as an operations-platform from which the Federation preserves the integrity of the timeline

By the 26th century, time travel technology became an established factor in the Federation, enabling it to explore historical events, in part by the use of timeships . A Temporal Integrity Commission was soon formed as well as Temporal Accords , dedicated to prevent any temporal incursions , intentional or unintentional, from occurring or the timeline from collapsing and ensuring that the exploration of time could be performed without interferences. However, from various sides, there rose massive opposition to these restrictions to time travel and the Federation was soon drawn into a Temporal Cold War that spread across history, involving numerous factions, some of whom even tried to alter history in order to prevent the Federation from forming. ( ENT : " Cold Front ", " Detained ", " Future Tense "; TNG : " A Matter Of Time "; VOY : " Future's End, Part II ", " Relativity ")

In the 29th century , Starfleet Captain Braxton located the starship Voyager in the Delta Quadrant of the year 2373, claiming that, in his century, it had been unwillingly responsible for the destruction of the Federation's entire capital system around Sol by a temporal explosion . Trying to restore the timeline, Braxton tried to destroy Voyager , which was able to disrupt Braxton's ship, however, pulling both ships into different decades of the 20th century . There, temporal contamination by the advanced technology of Braxton's ship turned out to be the very reason for the temporal explosion in the first place. Fortunately, Voyager 's crew was able to prevent this contamination, so an alternate version of Braxton who never experienced these events was able to return Voyager to the Delta Quadrant of the 24th century , ending this temporal incursion. ( VOY : " Future's End ", " Future's End, Part II ")

In order to intentionally thwart the foundation of the Federation, the historical events surrounding Captain Jonathan Archer of the Enterprise posed a tempting target. A temporal agent from the 31st century posing as crewman Daniels on the Enterprise assisted Captain Archer and his crew numerous times in order to take their roles in history and maintain the timeline. In 2152 , however, Daniels inadvertently averted the Federation from ever coming into being by taking Archer some nine hundred years into the future. Thanks to his crew and a Suliban 's misunderstanding, he returned to his own time period, resetting the timeline. ( ENT : " Broken Bow ", " Cold Front ", " Shockwave ")

Another instance that nearly prevented the Federation from being founded was when a weapon created by the Xindi attacked Earth, killing seven million people. A race of transdimensional aliens, called Sphere-Builders, were defeated by the Federation in the 26th century so they deceived the Xindi into thinking Earth would attack them in the future, convincing them that they should preemptively attack Earth and annihilate Humanity, thereby eradicating the future Federation. With more help from Daniels, Archer and his crew were ultimately able to destroy the weapon as well as the sphere network , ending the Sphere-Builders influence in normal space. ( ENT : " The Expanse ", " Azati Prime ", " Zero Hour ")

Daniels, 2154

31st century-temporal agent Daniels played a pivotal role in guarding the historic events around Jonathan Archer leading to the founding of the Federation

Enterprise and its crew were not yet finished with the Cold War, however, as they were subsequently brought to an alternate 1944 , where a dangerous time traveling faction known as the Na'kuhl from the 29th century were assisting Nazi Germany in conquering America, thereby altering history and again preventing the formation of the Federation some two hundred years later. Enterprise destroyed the temporal conduit of the Na'kuhl which, in turn, prevented the crew's return to their century. As a result, many temporal incursions were erased; the Temporal Cold War was coming to an end and the timeline ultimately reset itself, paving the way for the historical events leading to the birth of the Federation. ( ENT : " Storm Front ", et al.)

32nd century [ ]

By the 32nd century the United Federation of Planets had mostly dissolved after The Burn sometime during the 31st century . The Federation and Starfleet had relocated their headquarters to a space station with a distortion field to mask their location. By 3189, there were only 38 members worlds in the Federation, down from 350 at their peak. ( DIS : " That Hope Is You, Part 1 ", " Die Trying ")

Following the hijacking of the USS Discovery , the Federation was able to start rebuilding itself when Trill rejoined. Other worlds, such as Ni'Var , followed suit, returning to the Federation in late- 3190 . ( DIS : " That Hope Is You, Part 2 ", " All Is Possible ")

Timeline [ ]

  • 2063 : Zefram Cochrane conducts Humanity's first warp flight, leading to the first official contact between Humans and Vulcans .
  • 2150 : Earth 's last holdouts agree to join United Earth after war, crime, poverty and the causes thereof have been eliminated earlier this century.
  • 2151 : United Earth makes first contact with Klingons and Andorians .
  • 2154 : Soon after the Augment Crisis opens a diplomatic rift between the Klingon Empire as well as United Earth/the later Federation, contacts between both sides will remain scarce until the mid-23rd century.
  • 2155 : The formation of a Coalition of Planets is discussed among representatives from Earth, Vulcan, Andoria , and Tellar , amongst others.
  • 2156 - 2160 : In the Earth-Romulan War , Earth, Vulcan, Andoria, and Tellar defeat the Romulan Star Empire leading to the creation of a Neutral Zone between the two power blocs.
  • 2161 : The United Federation of Planets is founded in San Francisco by the allies of the Earth-Romulan War.
  • 2184 - 2192 : Jonathan Archer serves as Federation President .
  • 2223 : Relations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire degenerate starting a tense cold war .
  • 2236 : A time crystal is lost during a Klingon raid on a Starfleet research group on Doctari Alpha , temporarily halting Starfleet's clandestine research into time travel .
  • 2245 : The inconclusive Battle of Donatu V is fought between the Klingon Empire and the Federation.
  • 2246 : Due to a shortage in food supply, Governor Kodos of Tarsus IV orders the execution of 4,000 colonists, committing one of the worst crimes in Federation history.
  • 2255 : This is the last time the Sheliak Corporate contacts the Federation until 2366.
  • 2256 : An open war between the Federation and an internally riven Klingon Empire begins with the Battle of the Binary Stars .
  • 2257 : After losing a third of its ships and twenty percent of its territory, the Federation authorizes a commando mission against Qo'noS , which ultimately ends the war and stabilizes Klingon leadership.
  • 2267 : After another open, but very brief war , the Federation and the Klingon Empire sign the Treaty of Organia establishing ground rules for further interaction and the resolution of territorial disputes. The same year, the Federation, the Klingon Empire, and the Romulan Star Empire jointly establish a colony on Nimbus III , officially declaring it "the planet of galactic peace".
  • 2268 : The Polaric Test Ban Treaty is signed by the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire, banning research into polaric ion energy .
  • 2270s : An attack on Earth by a massive machine lifeform called V'ger is closely averted.
  • 2286 : Another devastation of Earth is averted, when a reply to a probe of unknown origin can be given, whose attempts to contact Humpback whales severely affect Earth's atmosphere.
  • 2289 : The Federation and the Klingon Empire hold a diplomatic meeting at Korvat colony , however without producing any substantial results.
  • 2293 : On the Khitomer Conference between the Klingons and the Federation the Khitomer Accords are signed to establish a lasting peace between the two powers.
  • 2311 : After the devastating Tomed Incident with the Romulans , the Federation signs the Treaty of Algeron promising no research into or use of any cloaking devices.
  • 2344 : Answering a Klingon distress call, the Federation vessel USS Enterprise -C is destroyed by Romulans at the Battle of Narendra III . Being regarded as an honorable act, the incident cements the Federation-Klingon friendship leading to the Treaty of Alliance .
  • Late 2340s : Several border disputes escalate into a war between the Federation and the Cardassian Union .
  • 2353 : The Tholians completely destroy a Federation starbase.
  • Late 2350s : Lasting over a three-year period, the Galen border conflict with the Talarians occurs.
  • Early 2360s : The Federation fights a war with the Tzenkethi .
  • 2364 : A subtle attempt by parasitic beings to take full control of Starfleet and to prepare for an all-out invasion of the Federation is discovered and thwarted.
  • 2365 : The Federation vessel USS Enterprise -D makes first contact with the Borg .
  • 2367 : A Borg cube attacking the Federation and annihilating 39 starships at the Battle of Wolf 359 is destroyed in Earth orbit.
  • 2369 : The Bajoran Wormhole is discovered, stating a secure link between the Alpha - and Gamma Quadrants .
  • 2370 : The Federation-Cardassian Treaty is signed, finally settling all remaining border issues between the two powers.
  • 2370/ 2371 : In the Gamma Quadrant, the Federation becomes aware of the existence of the Founders and the Dominion , which destroys the Federation vessel USS Odyssey and several other ships and colonies.
  • 2372 : A Founder- Changeling bombs the Antwerp Conference between the Federation and the Romulans on Earth giving rise to massive paranoia. Starfleet Admiral Leyton tries to start a coup d'état against Federation President Jaresh-Inyo , but fails after it was learned that only four Changelings are operating on Earth at that time. Later that year, the Federation's and Klingon's old dispute over the Archanis sector escalates , leading to the Klingon's withdrawal from the Khitomer Accords.
  • 2373 : It is discovered that Klingon war monger General Martok had actually been replaced by a Founder and the Cardassian Union joins the Dominion, swiftly resolving the Klingons' conflict with the Federation and reinstating the Khitomer Accords. In the midst of these events another Borg cube attacks the Federation, but is destroyed near Earth at the Battle of Sector 001 . Later that year, the Dominion attacks and captures the Federation station Deep Space 9 , beginning the Dominion War against the Federation and the Klingon Empire.
  • 2374 : Although the Federation/Klingon Alliance recaptures Deep Space 9, the Dominion manages to conquer Betazed , putting it in a position to invade Vulcan, Andor , Tellar, and Alpha Centauri . The tide turns after the Romulan Star Empire joins the forces against the Dominion and quickly recaptures Federation worlds like Benzar .
  • 2375 : The Dominion gains the upper hand in the war again with its alliance with the Breen Confederacy , which even manages to launch a successful attack on Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco on Earth. In the face of its losses, the Federation Council decides to accelerate the admission of new members and even dismisses the Federation's most profound principles during the Ba'ku incident. With the help of the Cardassian Rebellion , the Federation Alliance manages to repel the Dominion forces, however, and finally captures Cardassia Prime later that year, ending the Dominion war with the Treaty of Bajor .
  • 2376 : The Pathfinder Project of the Starfleet Communications Research Center is able to establish two way communication with the USS Voyager , a Federation starship stranded in the Delta Quadrant since 2371 .
  • 2378 : After seven years in the Delta Quadrant, the USS Voyager returns to Earth using one of only six Borg transwarp hubs . The hub is subsequently destroyed, severely crippling the Collective 's infrastructure.
  • 2379 : After a Reman coup d'état , the Romulan Star Empire makes a false peace offer to the Federation. In fact, the new Romulan Praetor Shinzon plans to eradicate all life on Earth by using a thalaron device. He is stopped by the USS Enterprise -E . After this incident, the new Romulan government wishes to start negotiations with the Federation, which subsequently sends a new task force to the Neutral Zone.
  • 2385 : An attack on Mars by rogue Synths costs over 90,000 lives and a fleet of evacuation tugs . This prompts a galactic treaty outlawing synthetic life and thwarts Federation plans to aid in the evacuation of Romulus ahead of an impending supernova .
  • 2387 : The Romulan sun goes supernova. Federation ambassador Spock goes missing during a failed attempt to stop this.
  • 3069 : The Burn occurs, decimating the Federation and destroying most of Starfleet's ships. Member worlds such as Ni'Var, Trill, and even Earth leave the Federation.
  • 3189 : Following the fracturing of the Emerald Chain , the Federation begins rebuilding itself when Trill rejoins the Federation. Other worlds, such as Ni'Var, begin to consider rejoining the Federation. The Federation and Starfleet begin distributing Theta Zeta 's dilithium stockpile to both Federation and non-member worlds.
  • 3190 : The Dark Matter Anomaly rampages through Federation and allied space, destroying worlds starting with Kwejian . Ni'Var rejoins the Federation during this time. The Federation's actions during this time, including its First contact with Species 10-C and the evacuation of Earth, Titan and Ni'Var, lead to other worlds, such as Earth and Andoria, returning to the Federation.

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Based on Deanna Troi 's line in ENT : " These Are the Voyages... " " this alliance will give birth to the Federation ", the signing ceremony shown could well be the signing of the Coalition of Planets' charter or for some other precursory alliance to the actual Federation. While that is a legitimate interpretation, the line itself is ambiguous and could easily refer to the present state of the Federation as its own nation rather than an alliance. Further, exactly the same scene was observed in ENT : " Zero Hour ", wherein it was explicitly identified as the signing of the Federation Charter.

The clipping It's Federation Day! , from the Picard family album created for Star Trek Generations , gives additional details about the founding of the Federation, including the names of the signatories, the exact date (October 11) and that the Human-settled Alpha Centauri system was the fifth founding member. However, that particular item did not appear on-screen.

Various other non-canon sources have given the exact date of the founding as May 8 ( Last Full Measure ), June 30 ( Star Trek: Star Charts ), and August 12 ( Star Trek Online ).

Related topics [ ]

  • Andorian history
  • Cardassian history
  • Dominion history
  • Human history
  • Klingon history
  • Romulan history
  • Vulcan history

External link [ ]

  • Federation history at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
  • 3 Ancient humanoid

Screen Rant

Star trek origin movie officially announced by paramount for 2025 release.

Paramount Pictures officially announces the next Star Trek movie at CinemaCon, which will arrive in movie theaters in 2025.

  • Paramount Pictures announces new Star Trek movie for 2025, directed by Toby Haynes and written by Seth Grahame-Smith.
  • Chris Pine-led Star Trek 4 remains in development, while the new film is an origin story set decades before Abrams' 2009 movie.
  • Alongside the Star Trek origin movie, Paramount reveals a packed slate of exciting films for 2025-26 at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

Paramount Pictures officially announces the next Star Trek movie, which is scheduled to arrive in theaters in 2025. As reported in January, the next Star Trek movie isn't the long-delayed, Chris Pine-led Star Trek 4 produced by J.J. Abrams, which remains in development at Paramount. Rather, the next Star Trek movie is an origin story directed by Toby Haynes ( Star Wars: Andor ) and written by Seth Grahame-Smith (A braham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ).

Screen Rant' s Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) is at CinemaCon in Las Vegas where Paramount Pictures confirmed the next Star Trek movie , currently called Untitled Star Trek Origin Story , to be released in 2025. J.J. Abrams is also producing Untitled Star Trek Origin Story, which takes place decades before Abrams' Star Trek 2009 movie. See Rob Keyes' Tweet below:

Paramount also confirmed Untitled Star Trek Origin Story will begin production later this year for theatrical release in 2025.

Every Upcoming Star Trek Movie & TV Show

Star trek's new movies in theaters and paramount plus explained, star trek is finally making movies again.

After nearly a decade, Star Trek i s back to making movies. Star Trek on Paramount+ has created a television renaissance for the franchise, but the theatrical side of Star Trek overseen by Paramount Pictures has languished in development hell since Star Trek Beyond bowed in the summer of 2016. Toby Haynes' Untitled Star Trek Origin Story is yet another prequel, but as it's said to be set decades before Star Trek 2009, it could very well be set after Star Trek: Enterprise 's mid-22nd century voyages but otherwise be an origin story for both Star Trek 's Prime and alternate Kelvin timelines .

Meanwhile, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek 4 , which is the "final chapter" of the USS Enterprise crew led by Chris Pine's Captain James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto's Spock, has seen some movement with a new screenwriter, Steve Yockey ( The Flight Attendant ), tackling the long-delayed sequel. Pine and his fellow Star Trek actors, including Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, and Sofia Boutella, have all expressed their eagerness to return if Star Trek 4 can come together.

It's a positive sign that Star Trek movies are finally coming back.

Paramount+ is making their own Star Trek movies, with the recently-wrapped Star Trek: Section 31 awaiting a release date. Starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh, Section 31 i s the first made-for-streaming Star Trek movie, and it is reportedly set during Star Trek 's "lost era" with connections to Star Trek: The Next Generation. Section 31 could get a sequel if successful, and the Star Trek: Picard spinoff dubbed Star Trek: Legacy may also become a streaming movie instead of a series. However all this shakes out, it's a positive sign that Star Trek movies are finally coming back.

Source: Rob Keyes Twitter

TrekMovie.com

  • April 12, 2024 | BREAKING: ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Renewed For Season 4; ‘Lower Decks’ To End With Season 5
  • April 12, 2024 | Interview: Wilson Cruz On How “Jinaal” Sets Up The Rest Of The Season For Culber On ‘Star Trek: Discovery’
  • April 12, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Goes To Trill With ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ For “Jinaal”
  • April 11, 2024 | Paramount Pictures Officially Confirms Star Trek Origin Movie For Its Upcoming Film Slate
  • April 11, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Tries Too Many Connections In “Jinaal”

Paramount Pictures Officially Confirms Star Trek Origin Movie For Its Upcoming Film Slate

star trek historical timeline

| April 11, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 182 comments so far

Today, the road to the next Star Trek feature film took a small but significant step towards becoming reality.

Paramount makes it official

Earlier this year, it was reported that Paramount Pictures was developing a new Star Trek feature film in parallel development to the “Star Trek 4” sequel to 2016’s Star Trek Beyond . Today the studio made the reports official as they announced their slate of films for 2025 and 2026, an official list which includes what Paramount is now calling “Untitled Star Trek Origin Story.” The studio also confirms the previously reported details: The film is “set decades before the original 2009 Star Trek film.” Toby Haynes ( Andor , Black Mirror “USS Callister”) is directing based on a screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith ( The Lego Batman Movie ), with J.J. Abrams returning as producer.

The Star Trek movie was just one of many the studio confirmed as part of their 2025/2026 slate at their CinemaCon presentation today. Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins led the studio’s presentation at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. This is the first time Star Trek has been part of the studio’s annual CinemaCon event since Robbins took over in 2021.

The “Star Trek 4” sequel to Beyond was not part of today’s CinemaCon presentation, presumably because with the recent hiring of a new screenwriter , that film would not be ready for theaters by 2026. It has also been reported that the origin story movie is set to start filming by the end of the year. There are no details yet on the plot, specific time setting, or cast. If Paramount can move fast enough they could get the origin movie into theaters by 2026—in time for Star Trek’s 60th anniversary.

Find more news and analysis on  upcoming Star Trek feature films .

Related Articles

star trek historical timeline

Star Trek 4

‘Star Trek 4’ Removed From Paramount Picture’s Release Calendar

Kelvin Universe , Star Trek 4

Paramount Studio Chief: ‘Star Trek 4’ Close To Starting Line; Says Audiences Want More Kelvin Crew

star trek historical timeline

Hawley Trek

Noah Hawley Laments Paramount Halting His “Really Fun” Star Trek Movie Just Before Production

star trek historical timeline

Star Trek Universe TV , Upcoming movies

Star Trek Universe TV Head Alex Kurtzman Says Line Between Movies And Television Is “Gone”

Fool me once … ( also I want a movie but until someone gets a set built I’m not holding my breath )

I’m not pre-ordering my tickets…..

You would need a title and a premiere date to order tickets. This film has neither.

I’d wait to believe it until you actually see a movie trailer for it. Noah Hawley was in the casting stage when they cancelled his Trek movie. They might have even started on the sets.

The film is on Noah’s IMDB Credits list…

Yep. I heard ferries exist too!

Car ferries?

Even now, it potentially doesn’t matter. They could pull a Zaslav and shelve the film after it was all but released.

I won’t believe it until my butt is in the theater seat and the film starts playing.

We don’t need the origin story. We have it already. It was called “Enterprise”.

I didn’t realize there was such a large interest in a Star Trek origin movie. It’s their money to burn.

I still believe this is their way of rebooting the “prime” universe from the beginning and remaking it in a new image. I see no other point of doing an origin movie. First Contact and Star trek: Enterprise were origin enough IMO.

I don’t quite get it either. We already got that with First Contact and Enterprise. What else is there that could interest the general public.

Yeah, and for me, the period between First Contact and Enterprise just doesn’t seem that exciting. The period between Enterprise and the Nero incursion would be more interesting, I guess.

They wrote that the origin film would be “set decades before the original 2009 Star Trek film”. That film (in-universe) is set in 2233 (Nero incursion) and 2258 (main plot) respectively. So “decades before” would be after Enterprise, probably after the formation of the Federation, most probably before the Nero incursion, maybe around the turn of the century.

It’s just odd they are calling it an “origin” movie if it happens after Enterprise.

I’m curious what they mean by “origin”. The origin of Starfleet would be before Enterprise and the origin of the Federation would be after.

Also, the origin of Star Trek would have to be before the events of First Contact.

…assuming there is a concern about canon whatsoever, of course.

Many assumptions to be made at this point for sure.

Assuming this announcement doesn’t get added to the pile of previous unmade-movie announcements.

They’re calling it an origin movie to appeal to newcomers and casual fans.

Maybe we’ll see the founding of the Federation?

We already saw that in the infamous final episode of Enterprise. If they revisit that, they’d have to include the NX-01 crew and do a *lot* of deaging. 😉

They could show the first year of the Federation or something.

The obvious way to go is just do the Romulan war which leads into the founding of the Federation and what Enterprise was supposed to do.

That’s really the only thing fans actually want to see in terms of a prequel story.

Which was already scripted for Berman nearly 20 years ago by the band of brothers screenwriter.

Yep. I heard that’s what they were considering doing until the Kelvin movie got greenlit instead.

Overall the Kelvin movie was probably the better choice in terms of box office but I probably would’ve preferred the Romulan war idea because it did sound more original and different.

For how little Trek lore has fleshed out that imaginary bit of history, do we really need to be putting some detail to how we went from post-apocalyptic hellhole to utopian paradise in fifty years? Maybe some enterprising human stole a replicator off a Vulcan ship and reverse engineered it? Seeing the sausage being made may not be a great on screen adventure…

Eastern Europe isn’t the best example – while they’ve done okay extricating themselves from the communist wasteland, it was (and is) without its setbacks.

that’s what makes me so crazy. Discovery was the chance to reboot the “prime” universe but they have stubbornly stuck to this quisling versio

Not only that, they already did a Star Trek origin movie. Star TRek 2009. But sure lets put more money in it, have it fail, and then blame the box office on why we will never get more trek. Thats a great idea!

First off do we even know what they mean by “origin”?

Could be about the founding of the federation, the Romulan War, or the early days of starfleet pre-Enterprise.

It may have nothing to do with Kirk and Spock, the Enterprise, might not be any kind of reboot or reset.

My gut says it’s set in the Kelvin timeline and it takes place post USS Kelvin but pre-2009 Trek. And I’m fine with that.

They already said it will be based in the prime universe, not the Kelvin. I don’t know why they framed that press release that way but I guess since the Kelvin movies are the current movies they wanted to make clear to people this movie is before all of that I guess.

And obviously will have nothing to do with Kirk and Spock because it will be before they were even born.

These announcements feel like Groundhog Day, don’t they? Maybe that’s the story they should tell.

A feature length version of Cause and Effect…

I’m guessing Romulan Star Empire Wars era setting.

Yeah, maybe it’s the concept Rick Berman pitched: a Romulan War film where the NX-01 is off vacationing at Risa.

How about Star Trek: Federation . Founding of the Federation, which is immediately followed by a crisis requiring the urgent launch of USS Federation (NCC-01). Scott Bakula has a cameo appearance as President Archer.

Here we go! :D

Star Trek Origins: The Future Begins

Yeah but it’s not as exciting when we literally have a thousand years of that future now.

This is why prequels bore so many people when we already know so much about the future it’s setting up.

At least with the Kelvin movies they were smart to not make it a traditional prequel and people still hated those too.

I will never understand the obsession of going backwards when you have a fanbase that is constantly begging to go forward and prequels don’t attract new fans at all because they are made for oddly old fans in mind. You only cared about how Anakin became Vader in the prequels if you watched the OT.

We really know almost nothing (in canon) about the entire century that elapses between Enterprise and Discovery , though. I would have preferred Kelvin Movie 4 or even a post-TNG original movie (maybe with Patrick Stewart making a cameo) but I could get behind a canon treatment about the first years of the Federation.

If it’s really something good or interesting fine. If it’s just ‘this is how the Federation was formed” we already got that already.

Now if it’s the Romulan war or something then that’s at least something people can get excited about. But yeah we already know how it ends so maybe that won’t be it either.

I just can’t really get to excited about a prequel movie.

Yeah, I think the Romulan war would be a great premise for a movie, BUT according to TOS the battles were fought with “primitive atomic weapons and in primitive space vessels which allowed no quarter, no captives, nor was there even ship-to-ship visual communication; therefore, no human, Romulan or ally has ever seen the other.”

In other words canon would have to be completely ignored – we all know Enterprise completely disregarded the TOS take of the war as the NX-01 had visual comms, phase cannons and photonic torpedoes. If the story is a good one, I am totally good with ignoring canon, but of course others are not.

Yeah that’s always the issue with the Romulan War thing, it’s really hard to make a compelling story about it when you are fighting it without directly engaging the enemy.

That said I’m 100% convinced they will just ignore that and do what they want or just find an excuse to change ot. Look at SNW, this the show that has shown the Gorn years before they were supposed to be seen and completely changed Khan’s original timeline using TCW as the reason..

Discovery had an entire Klingon War when that didn’t remotely exist in canon.

So yeah it probably won’t matter that much end of the day. They will just make what they want and then will use some excuse to do it. That’s been the case since Enterprise as you said.

So, it would be set after Enterprise and before the Kelvin fiasco. Awesome.

Probably the Romulan Wars. And with no Enterprise. Not excited

If only I could insert the Will Farrel “I don’t believe you!” GIF.

Whatever this turns out to be, hopefully it will be interesting. More likely it will turn out to be just another dead Trek movie project.

So many of these stories do seem to go absolutely nowhere! However, I am not as negative about an origin story as some fans are. At this point, I am more neutral on the movie. I can see that under the right circumstances it could be quite interesting. Although prequels can be a tough sell to Star Trek fans. Ultimately the fact that’s a movie could work in its favor though. Less storylines to produce over the years might help keep the story focused! Though I am not sure it would be a box office draw.

I’ll believe it when I’ve seen it in theaters, listened to TrekMovie’s review, and have the blu-ray on my shelf 4 months later.

Where to place the Blu-ray tho?

Before ST09 or after Beyond? …or.. Before TOS?

They go in order of release, for me. But could this be the first Trek film I don’t purchase on disc? Time may tell…

It’s an origin story taking place in the prime universe so it will go either before or after Enterprise basically.

I’ll believe it when it actually happens. Also, Seth Grahame-Smith is not a good writer, so that doesn’t bode well.

My thoughts exactly.

I liked the book Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, but not the movie.

I absolutely loved the Lego Batman movie, though. If he is able to incorporate Trek lore with as much care as he did for Batman, it could turn out to be a very good movie after all.

I’ll believe it when I’m sat i theatre turning off my phone with my Star Trek Origins screensaver and eating popcorn out my STO popcorn bucket (the lid in shape of the Starfleet A insignia )

He co wrote The Flash right? I really liked that , I could imagine something similar happening with Nero as happened with Zod in that (going back to 1st film via timetravel)

This is what’s over at Box Office Mojo: Untitled Star Trek: Beyond Sequel (????)

Grain of salt, anyone?

There are apparently two movies planned. Origin and Trek 4…

Actually there are three now including one that we all thought was DOA two minutes after it was announced.

Three movies in development from a studio who has cancelled four of them for 8 years now. And this will be the fourth new script for the next Kelvin movie.

That’s why everyone is very very confident this one is happening for sure. 🙄

The only thing we can take to the bank is we will see Section 31, starring Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh!!

Pretty much.

And a studio that is broke and in debt with junk status. None of these will likely be made or just the super cheapy origin movie if they can keep the budget low.

I’m pretty sure you got your facts wrong.

Sigh. Why do the powers that be always want to go backward in the ST timeline and do origin stories and such?

Lack of confidence in new ideas and to make it as cheaply as possible, are two things that come to mind right away.

It’s simple. They don’t want all that trek nerd baggage. They want a movie anyone would go to see and understand.

How’s that working for them?

You don’t get it.

I don’t get it either? It’s not like the prequel stuff has been huge home runs or big money makers.

The Star Wars prequels made a lot of money. That’s what Paramount still looks at, even though they have yet to duplicate that financial success.

Yes but that’s STAR WARS! It’s going to make a lot of money period. And those prequels came out when it was just the OT and nothing else for literally decades. There was a lot of hype just returning to those stories.

This is not the same thing, especially when we already had so many prequels in Trek now and with mixed results. That said I’m not saying it can’t be successful but I don’t see any huge hype around it either because most fans just seem to want to go forward and not backwards.

All the negativity over this ‘announcement’ is well deserved. Just make a fcking movie already Paramount, Jesus.

But I suspect IF this one is real it’s probably a much cheaper movie being new actors and maybe something with a lot less explosions and FX. I suspect it will probably be around $100 million.

It’s certainly doesn’t sound like something they are pushing to make a billion dollars or anything. Only people who cares about a prequel will be mostly old fans and even they aren’t exactly excited about yet another prequel judging by all the reactions so far. Maybe they will attract an A list star or a well respected one to bring more hype to it.

But same time I been pushing to just do something NEW with new characters and setting forever now. Stop trouting out Kirk and Picard, take a real chance with the franchise for a change. I was hoping it would be Post Nemesis but I should be happy I finally got half of what I wanted lol.

But I’ll believe it when I see it. I have literally been saying this line for six years now and I’m really tired of saying it. 🙄

Yup, exactly. Assuming it even happens, the premise sounds weak. Not surprised.

Yep. Unless it’s something truly mind blowing it’s not going to elicit a lot of excitement. Sure we’ll all go lol but I don’t see this thing having any real pull beyond the true believers.

It probably got the greenlight because its really cheap and it’s becoming embarrassing how long this franchise has languished.

I really only go to movie theaters to see Trek films (much prefer the comforts of home to see movies), so yup I’ll be going, good or bad. And yes, it is really pathetic the way this franchise has been treated on the big screen for the past 20 years. Disgraceful.

Ummm… what premise?? The only thing we know is that it is an origin movie. Nothing else. There IS no premise yet…

I think he means just another origin story itself feels a bit tired. But yes we don’t specifically know what that means yet but anything before TOS at this point just doesn’t really get a lot of fans all that hot and bother.

Whatever it ends up being it’s just filling in to more history we already know.

I get it. But no matter what era they make a movie in, there will be complaints. We have done prequels – some fans hate that. We have done same era as TNGish – fans complained. Likewise, we have had a show set in the future (soon to be another) – fans complained. There aren’t many options left.

Before TOS: Enterprise, JJ movies, Discovery, SNW just after TNG era: Picard, Prodigy, Lower Decks Future: Discovery, Starfleet Academy

Do they just make things in the era of TNG, DS9 and Voyager? No matter what is produced, there will always be a fan base that is unhappy.

I’m going to start reporting you now. One guy got the boot for being an obsessive troll and like you was already banned before anyway.

Leave me alone from this point on. I mean it.

What a total disappointment. I wanted to see the Kelvin crew return. It’s going to be 10 years between films.

Please be Kirk and Spock at least.

Check the first paragraph of the article out again. This one is presumably being developed ‘in parallel’ to the Kelvin crew sequel.

Recast Kirk and Spock, I presume?

I wouldn’t be surprised if the main character is Kirk’s great grandfather, Tiberius something or other.

And not surprised there was no announcement of the next JJ verse movie. I predicted a few weeks ago that one wouldn’t get made by 2026 or the 60th anniversary. Frankly I don’t even know why they are even bothering with it anymore? Whenever it’s supposed to come out it’s already going to be the last one and over 10 years since the last one came out.

What’s even the point? They are clearly moving on from it.

As far as the origin movie why not just make it for the 60th anniversary? Why rush it? It’s already been nearly a decade, what’s one more year at this point and you can Marley it better in an anniversary year.

Its the reverse of ST 6, here we getting the prequel movie instead of the final cast film (for the anniversary)

Someone on another board said we are probably getting the sequel to First Contact so it would make sense to have it for the 6Oth anniversary 30 years apart lol.

“[S]et decades before the original 2009 Star Trek film?”

Gimme Archer & T’Pol, or else…

Neither actor has any interest in returning to Star Trek, so that won’t happen.

No, no no. You’ve got it all wrong. It’s a story about a little design firm vying for the chance to design the Enterprise. It’s a story about a plucky band of mechanical engineers and physicists who come together to do the best pitch of their lives in a bidding war with three other firms. So, an origin story…from a certain point of view. ;)

I would watch,THAT!

I would write that!

I would direct that! (If I was Christopher Nolan)

No, I want Nolan doing ThePrisoner! He’s already got a script from the guy who wrote 12 Monkeys and the best stuff in Blade Runner, from over a decade back.

You probably meant it as a joke, but I’m also intrigued by this idea :D

Charlie Kaufmann does star trek.

Sure, you can store anti-matter in a glass jar. What could possibly go wrong?

Y’know, I know this is said partly in jest, but I wouldn’t mind that kind of movie if it was sort of a space race / WWII / Cold War drama, kind of a mix of Oppenheimer and The Right Stuff.

There’s a geo (spatio?) political angle (firm up the borders of the Federation, mitigate threats, and establish new allies while keeping up the exploration / first contact initiatives), the pressure on the engineering team to deliver groundbreaking new tech (and probably the cost of failed experiments, accidents, etc.), and then recruiting and training a new kind of crew – a starship crew (as Captain Merrick described them in ‘Bread and Circuses’.)

In essence, the origin of Starfleet as we know it – the first long-duration missions, the best of the best crewmembers, cross-trained, multidisciplinary, and for the first time, widely multi-species, etc.

Glad you all like. Paramount, you can send the check to: bmar, care of….

I’m thinking there’s going to be peace in the Middle East and nuclear fusion power is going to be a reality before they ever get back to the theaters.

Once upon a time I enjoyed Star Trek. Since the Nu Trek era began. I havent enjoyed any of the story arcs. They are just too aweful. There is a multitude of reasons why throught the web. Strange New Worlds S1 corrected course, however S2 not so. There are forces at work at Paramount. They are hell bent to destroy Star Trek. If Kurtzman and crew are in charge of the new movie. Get ready for more fantasy drama nonsense, and less plausable sci-fi.

Same here. I can’t get into NuTrek much at all. It feels like a shell of the golden era. For me that will always be 1966-2005.

But if others like it and getting new fans I’m very happy for them.

Same here. I’ve found a few gems in SNW S1, PIC S3, and S1 of Prodigy, but otherwise have been very disappointed in “NuTrek.” Of course I wish the franchise the best, but so far it’s been more misses than hits for me.

Yes I truly love Picard season 3! The best thing to come out of NuTrek so far. I don’t hate SNW but it railroads canon too much for my taste but it does feel like Star Trek again.

I haven’t seen Prodigy yet but I plan to watch it when season 2 begins and will watch season 1 before that one. Everyone kept saying it’s for kids and I’m far from a kid these days lol. But others here convinced me it’s a show for adults too so will give it a go

Wow, hell-bent on destroying Trek. Hell-bent, you say!! Just a tough melodramatic, are you?

Really don’t care about prequels and just want to keep going forward. Why not a movie in the 25th or 26th century with new crew and characters?

I may care more if Archer is involved or something. But I suspect this movie will bomb like the last one did. Only fans cares about prequels. New fans won’t care at all.

At least it’s in the prime universe again I guess.

But 25th or 26th century would still be a prequel to Discovery’s 32nd century :D

That doesn’t bother me because we don’t know anything about those time periods. We already know plenty about everything before TOS because it’s all been said or told now

Yeah I said this to another member the other day discussing any post Picard stories and that it will be completely new stories in a period we don’t know so it’s not the same thing. When you’re doing something like a TOS prequel you only have so much room and while it can certainly be interesting and creative it basically just like filling in to more stuff we already know.

That said the Section 31 movie time period is at least more interesting because it covers a much wider time period and they can be a lot more freer with the technology, etc so looking forward to that at least.

Yes I will admit although I’m not a big fan of the Space Nazi the time period of the movie intrigues me more. I always been curious of this period and the lead up to TNG, mostly because we know very little about it.

Discovery (in my view) kind of ruined everything in the Trek timelime. Just my opinion. Anyone who wants to just forget it happened, I’m in. Kidding, not kidding.

Agreed! I also don’t think it will be allegorical science fiction or be anything thought provoking. It will be a fast paced action adventure story that’s empty of depth and soul. Modern Star Trek is more interested in spectacle than compelling stories.

I’d guess that it means “origin of the TOS crew,” but that’s kind of weird, because we saw that in 2009.

Maybe this time they’ll start when they’re toddlers. (I kid, but not really). :)

They are going to re-do ‘A night in Sickbay’ like they did with Wrath of Khan/Into Darkness. It’ll be the same but different…..

Could this be their way of doing a George Kirk movie?

I would want to watch that, colour me intrigued…

“set decades before the original 2009 Star Trek film.”

Original 2009 Sta Trek film Sounds so wrong.

there is only two star trek origin stories i want to see the formation of the federation and it’s first few years if they have to adapt the rise of the federation novels for the movie and the origins of the borg they could adapt the plot ffor thet from the star trek destiny novels for a movie

Spot on, on both points!

2025? I hope it works out…

First we hear we are getting a Star Fleet Space Academy series that no one wants. The idea was mentioned in the 1980’s and shot down by fans. Now a retake on a Star Trek Origins films. Is any one currently running the Star Trek franchise in TV/streaming or film even listening to what the fans both old and new are saying?

It would seem not, sadly. How about establishing the time period between TUC and TNG, there’s a literal ton of stories to tell there? How the possibilities for storytelling within the franchise have been squandered over the years makes me frustrated, and frankly confused. SO many missed opportunities.

The upcoming section 31 movie will be set during that time frame as we know a young Rachel Garrett who later in life will be the captain of the enterprise c and defend the Klingon colony of narendra 3 will be in the movie maybe we will get to see the ent-b also again

Pointless movie as no audience will come see it at best it will make half its budget back. I mean they spent $250M on the 2009 movie and it showed on screen….you already know they are not spending that level otherwise it would be a Kelvin cast sequel!

I believe they spent just under 160 mil on the 09 (not counting the interest payments for holding the finished film for six months to get a summer release, or prints/advertising.) You’re probably thinking of BEYOND with the 250 number.

I still can’t see the money on screen in the 09, shooting in the damn brewery was Corman-level cheap.

The Numbers have the 09 costs 140 and BO Mojo sez 150, so yeah, way under the 250m you mention.

Can the ethos of Trek be distilled by JJ? Bob orci was bad for trek.

Kurtzman seemed to fall into trap w/discovery season 1.

Season 2, Picard, Lower Decks and SNW definitely sealed my thinking that Trek was in right hands.

Is section 31 and Rachel Garrett the right pivot for Trek? I thought 24th/25th century had plenty of stories to still tell.

Enterprise C, and possibly Tasha Yar/Sela after the events of Yesterday’s Enterprise! This should reboot TNG/Picard if ST: Legacy doesn’t happen.

Lower Decks makes me laugh Picard made me cry (good) SNW made me feel like Kurtzman should be trusted 💯

Great. Abrams ruined Star Wars and he’s finishing of Star Trek.

JJ had a planed out story plot for what he wanted to happen in the sequels but rian johnson chose to deviate from what jj had payed out so when jj returned for episode 9 he had to try and make the best of it and make his original story plot work but with the changes Johnson had made altering it so he had to come up with another evil sith mastermind and chose palpatine and he did course correct Rey’s lineage though it was different from who he had initially planned it to be and with Carrie fishers untimely passing he had to rewrite more and he had Luke show up as a force ghost to help rey when she returned to ach-to as apparently he was never going to have Luke die until the the final battle

I hope it has nudity

….and “Invincible” level action. It’ll be a hard R Quinton Tarentino could love.

Yes, we are on the same page.

CinemaCon basically works like a network upfront. You see clips and hear a lot of announcements. When there’s no cast or start date for announced projects, there’s maybe a 50/50 chance that the project will actually move forward (I was with a former employer for over 8 years and we announced a lot of stuff that generated a lot of buzz but then never materialized).

I think Brian Robbins will be gone within the next 12 months and if Robbins is pushed out this film is dead in the water.

This is probably the right answer.

I have next to no faith this will actually happen but they only have themselves to blame lol.

I remember a former poster kept saying ‘well this a new regime ‘ they aren’t the old guys’. Uh huh. It just shows end of the day they might be different but they still answer to the same shareholders and they know another Trek film is risky. Maybe this will finally get beyond a script this time but no one will be convinced until they start shooting the thing.

Rehashing old fandom letter campaign complaints from 40 years ago, don’t equate to the modern sci-fi fan, let alone the majority of Star Trek fans of 2024. The majority of complaints in the article comments are that there isn’t enough new future timeline Star Trek, so why would people NOT want a Star Fleet Academy series – new stories, new characters, new ships, new alien species/planets etc? An Origin movie is a vague enough description that it’s probably likely that the fandom can’t come anywhere close to a correct theory on when in the Trek timeline, this movie could be set.

I agreed with a commenter earlier, a George Kirk prequel movie would satisfy a lot of the fans, and hopefully generate enough interest for new and casual Star Trek moviegoers to warrant their going to a cinema complex. As to want the hardcore Star Trek fandom really want? There is too much dissent and bitter recriminations gone by, for any serious agreement by the fandom of their requirements, to stick for any longer than the next Trek major media article to be issued. And even if a majority agreement could be achieved – then we have the Mount Everest of EP Alex Kurtzman / Secret Hideout control of Trek production, to climb. A movie or series could have a billion-dollar budget, stellar A-list cast and crew, critical media acclaim for the story / screenplay. A favourable release timing and viral marketing, but fall at the last hurdle – the box office, due to the mountain of hate piled up against Paramount, Kurzman and his associates.

Now, as to the overall custodianship of the Trek franchise and its operation as a business, in general by Paramount, and its contracted creatives? Well, that’s a whole Hollywood chapter in itself. And is any of that even relevant in the long term, with the behind-the-scenes Harry Potter Wizard chess moves that are going on at the studio ownership, and network controlling interest levels? Apologies for the extended and extensive reply.

The first thing to do in order make a successful Star Trek movie is to ignore Star Trek fans.

God, please, no origin stories.

Star Trek: The Beginning, Part 1 — A Final Frontier Origin Story

Star Trek has always been a production dealing with many human issues pushing open the veils of awkwardness, embarrassment, and unaddressed behaviors that represent our culture planet wide. Thank You Star Trek. The one thing Paramount+ did that was just totally in bad taste was cancel Prodigy, bunch of morons.

Every fan’s preferences are different, but over the years I’ve ended up streamlining various ‘franchises’ I enjoy to my own liking when it comes to a re-watch – and these days my own limited Star Trek ‘canon’ purely consists of kicking things off with ‘The Cage’ pilot storyline….followed by my specific favourite TOS episodes in ‘production order’ (starting with ‘Where No Man Has Gone Before’, and skipping ‘The Menagerie’ two-part storyline)….followed by all the TOS movie storylines….and ending the Kirk crew’s adventures with ‘The Undiscovered Country’ as my preferred send-off for them all….then skip the antics of the ‘Generations’ movie, and instead continue on with my specific favourite TNG episodes (starting with the ‘Encounter At Farpoint’ introduction to Picard and his crew)….and then conclude the entire thing with the ‘First Contact’ movie’s storyline – which covers the development of ‘warp drive’, bringing everything full circle, and giving me all the ‘origin’ specifics I need..

All other ‘Trek-related shows and movies since then remain firmly on my ‘one-watch-only’ list, but I’m more than content with what I’ve outlined above.

I don’t know if I’ll ever get a ‘Star Trek’ movie which goes much deeper than glossy ‘pew-pew’ action and explosions in the future, but I remain hopeful.there might be a storyline that I really like again.

In the meantime, for my latest ‘alien contact’ fix, I’ve just finished up enjoying the excellent ‘Three-Body’ show’s inventive storyline and characters – the subtitled, 30-episode one produced by Tencent, which is currently available on YouTube and Amazon Prime (not the muddled 8-episode ‘3 Body Problem’ version by Netflix) – So much so, that I’m intending to buy the actual trilogy of books by the Chinese author, as I can’t wait for the next season to be made to find out what happens next. Some big ideas to come by all accounts, and I’m there for a bit more of that. .

The Netflix series is Superior

You’re welcome to your own preference of course.

But I far preferred the slow burn of the mystery and character build-ups in the Tencent version compared to the condensed and altered Netflix adaption. I just happen to find it a more satisfying and riveting version overall – and I will always prefer the way the ‘Judgment Day’ tanker got ‘nano-spliced’ in the Tencent version. Such an awesome sequence from start to finish!

Anyway, if the Netflix version actually gets a second season, I’ll certainly check it out too….but I am definitely looking forward to the next season of the Tencent show, which has been greenlit already.

The Tencent version is just boring to me and you can feel the Party’s hands all over it. Glad you liked it though.

we don’t need origin stories for everything! in media res is the way to go – almost always – TOS just dumps you right in the middle of events without even the clunky intros of TNG Encounter at Farpoint.

If this movie does well will IT get an origin story? We’re going to end up at the pool of goo at the dawn of humankind waiting for Picard and Q to show up…

im happy with any good trek news… even if they made a direct sequel to the final frontier… but how many origin stories do we need? i’d be happy if someone forged a path forward and created new things…

So this one is set in the five-minute period between Enterprise and Discovery? Or the as-yet unexplored time between April 5th 2063 and Enterprise where it’s “stone knives and bear skins” and no Trek tech to speak of? Enterprise was the prequel! How’d that one work out?

If the movie is made ,I will judge it then.

I wanted the 4th Kelvin, do they know who their audience is? Nobody i know, Star Trek fan or general audience bothered to go see Beyond. It was like Nemesis all over again. The trailer was terrible, the movie was kind of meh to be honest. So in the intervening years since the 2009 somewhere they lost the audience. Star Trek 2009 was an event movie, and 2015 Force Awakens was as well. Good job letting JJ go to Disney so Star Trek died as a film series.

I’m guessing the fourth movie is still too costly to risk making another one at least right now.

Someone threw out an an interesting theory on the last thread discussing this for the 47th time that they suggested Paramount have no plans to actually make another Kelvin movie but just as a rouse for the next company that buys the studio.

It really makes sense at this point, they can dangle the idea the movie is in ‘development’ and then when someone actually buys it they can just decide to make it or cancel it.

I mean it doesn’t sound crazy considering where we are. It’s a movie that is working with their fourth new writer but there is still no director or even a starting date of any kind within the the next two years.

Them you have this origin movie that was just announced a few months ago and that’s already scheduled to come out next year. My guess is it will probably cost half of what another Kelvin movie would be. But yeah who knows if that will get made either, but it has a better chance than a Kelvin movie.

I can’t name anyone who actually wants an origin movie. By the way, didn’t we get that one with First Contact already anyway?

It’s not up to you or anyone you pretend to know.

Another prequel? This is getting ridiculous now. Remember when Star Trek used to go forwards? Enough already!

Kurtzman said he didn’t have the authority to greenlight legacy. I wonder if that will be like Bennet’s academy years and never happen.

18 months is not enough time for a movie of this size unless this is ready to shoot in july.

The JJ-verse is an aberration no one is particularly a fan of. There is no one who wants to how that mess started. It’s done nothing but foul everything that went before, leaving ST-ENT, of all things, as the only remaining official classic canon. Bugger that.

I need Star Trek that is hopeful, aspirational, and inspirational. 15 yrs later neither Bad Robot or Secret Hideout has done anything close to that. Sec 31 and Starfleet Academy aren’t anything viewers want. I wish they’d just stop.

lol,if you say so…

EXCLUSIVE: Former Anonymous writer of Trek 4 shares his experience

Interviewer: Hello, we are here today to talk to a former writer for the very very very (like really very) long delayed fourth Kelvin movie. With the announcement of a prequel movie being released instead and yet ANOTHER new set of writers for the next Kelvin movie, we reached out to the only person who returned our calls; a former writer from the 2023 project.

To give us an honest insight into his experience he wishes to remain anonymous. For the sake of this interview he will be simply referred to as ‘GotohellParamount’. Thank you for meeting with me today.”

GotohellParamount’: “You’re welcome.”

Interviewer: “It sounds like your experience working on the last movie didn’t end too well. How is your relationship with the studio today?”

GotohellParamount: “Bleep them in their bleeping bleepholes. I hope they all die from bleeping Ebola.”

Interviewer: ‘That’s some pretty colorful metaphors. Can I ask what happened?”

GotohellParamount: “Their bleeps that’s what. We spent a year working on that movie. We lost the director to go work for Marvel because these bleepholes kept bleeping us around. I got so frustrated I finally texted the Head Studio Guy and said ‘will you people stop bleeping around!? Get off your bleeps and let’s make a movie already!!’

Three weeks went by and I finally got a response from them. It simply read ‘K’. Bleepholes!!! By the way you’re not going to ‘bleep’ any of these words out are you?”

Interviewer: “Um…of course not. Can you tell us a little about what the movie was about?”

GotohellParamount: “The gist was a huge black ship comes from the 25th century to the 23rd century wiping out solar systems in the Federation. It was a new villain who wanted…wait for it…vengeance. That bleep was going to be bleeping awesome!!”

Interviewer: “So who was going to be the villain?”

GotohellParamount: “That’s the greatest part of it all. He was going to call himself…you ready: Kaos. JJ Abrams himself came up with that name. But then the true reveal was that he was indeed Kirk’s great great great great great great great great great great grandson from the future and came to stop Kirk from destroying his planet so he had to destroy the Federation first. We were even thinking Chris Pine can play both parts but Paramount was worried he would demand twice the salary.”

Interviewer: “I interviewed Chris Pine a few months ago and he was hoping there would be more scenes of him riding another motorcycle. Did you include that in the script?”

GotohellParamount: “Do you remember the ending of Mission Impossible 2 with the motorcycle duel? Pretty much the same ending with our movie with Kirk versus his evil grandson; except it was going to take place either on Romulus or in San Francisco. We were still figuring it out. There was even talk of it happening on a lava planet… but that would’ve ballooned the budget.

Interviewer: “Sounds very exciting. How was he going to wipe out the solar systems?”

GotohellParamount: “The ship he was on had the power to destroy stars by breaking down their fusion reactions. The FX was going to be bleeping sick.”

Interviewer: “Wait so the ship was a…Star destroyer?”

GotohellParamount: “Yep but to get around copyright issues JJ wanted to call it a Destroyer of Stars. The man is a bleeping genius I tell you.”

Interviewer: “It’s definitely a name.”

GotohellParamount: “We were so proud of the script. We gave it to JJ to read it. After he put it down, he took off his glasses put his hand on my shoulders and said ‘this is the most original Star Trek story I’ve ever read and I’ve read three of them.’ You have no idea how much that meant coming from such a visionary like him.”

Interviewer: “I’m sure you were. Was there any casting possibilities before it was shut down?”

GotohellParamount: “Was there?? We reached out to some incredible actors! Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy and Matt Damon. We wanted him to actually play Kirk’s evil grandson.

Interviewer: “Wait… weren’t all of them in Oppenheimer?’

GotohellParamount: “(Hard shrug)! I don’t know I haven’t seen it yet. Unfortunately Matt Damon’s agent was the only one who bothered to call us back. Apparently he always wanted to work with John Cho. Go figure? Too late now unfortunately.”

Interviewer: “Well that’s all the time we have. Thank you for your incredible and honest insight. Any thoughts on the new movie announcement or the chances either one will actually get made?”

GotohellParamount: (Laughs for three minutes). That’s it.”

Interviewer: “Thank you.’

I laugh every.single.time! 😂

Well done per usual.

Nice. Don’t forget to throw the Beastie Boys in there someplace…wouldn’t be a Kelvin film without them…

This was indeed hilarious! 😂

I love how you parody JJ Abrams. He doesn’t seem to have an original bone in his body looking at both his Star Trek and Star Wars movies.

Another prequel? Why can’t they come up with new material?

an image, when javascript is unavailable

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Star Sonequa Martin-Green on the Show’s Unexpected Final Season, the ‘Pressure’ of Representation and Taking the ‘Trek’ Cruise

By Adam B. Vary

Adam B. Vary

Senior Entertainment Writer

  • ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Renewed for Season 4; ‘Lower Decks’ to Conclude With Season 5 (EXCLUSIVE) 5 hours ago
  • ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Getting Bloody, Live-Action Film ‘The Last Ronin’ 1 day ago
  • Why ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Built Season 5 Around a Classic Episode From a Legacy Series 1 week ago

Sonequa Martin Green Star Trek: Discovery

Sonequa Martin-Green ’s first memories of “ Star Trek ” are of her parents watching it on TV — but really, they’re of Nichelle Nichols.

“I don’t even know as a child if I knew her real name, but I knew, here’s this beautiful Black woman,” Martin-Green says. “This is Uhura.”

Popular on Variety

“We wanted to conclude on a high note, and it was so important to honor the series’ incredible legacy and to give it the final season it deserves,” says Jeff Grossman, EVP of Paramount+ programming. “We’re so grateful to the producers for developing an extraordinary coda to bring ‘Discovery’ to a close.”

Remarkably, even though they weren’t designed to be this way, the first four episodes of the season, which Variety has screened, have a striking finality to them. Several characters make momentous life choices while the crew of the USS Discovery embark on a season-long adventure that feels like a culmination of sorts for everything they’ve experienced to that point. 

“I think it will feel like we had baked it from the beginning,” says executive producer and showrunner Michelle Paradise.

What was your very first exposure to “Star Trek”?

I can remember seeing it on the television when I was a kid. I can remember watching my parents watch it. I never sat down to watch it, but I knew what it was. I knew that’s “Star Trek,” that’s Nichelle Nichols. I don’t even know as a child if I knew her real name, but I knew here’s this beautiful Black woman. This is Uhura. I remember LeVar Burton. It’s interesting — I have flashes of a few people, but the two of them are the most prevalent in my memory.

Recently, Paramount+ posted a fascinating conversation between you and “Lower Decks” star Tawny Newsome , and one thing you discussed was how you’ve realized that, early on in the show, you took on too much responsibility. How did that manifest for you?

It was present when we were all establishing this culture of family on the set. I knew that that was exceedingly important, invaluable even, and everyone agreed with me. So I was mindful of that as we were going along.

But also it affected me in my work between action and cut, honestly. I felt so much pressure. Most of it I had put on myself. It needed to be perfect, and it needed to be right, and I needed to do it justice, and I needed to, I needed to, I needed to. It was very much, I must, I must, I must.

You can’t stay in the place that I was in because it is stagnating, and it does stifle your creativity. Thankfully, it was able to pass through me. It took time, longer than I thought it would take, but it did eventually get to where I finally could be authentic without that pressure.

Was part of that pressure because of this franchise’s history of breaking ground in representation with Nichelle Nichols and George Takei?

Oh, yeah. George Takei, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew. That’s exactly why. We knew that [“Star Trek”] was an heirloom, and to me it was heavy at first. At the time, I was still dealing with a great deal of internalized racism as well, so there was the imposter syndrome. There was the idea that I needed to prove that I deserve to be there, that I needed to make those who came before me proud, that I needed to prove my worth to them because of what had already been accomplished, because I knew that I was there largely because of them.

Of course, I knew that God had placed me there as well. I was always very clear about that, but I knew that they had paved the path that I was walking on. It was very much that I need to be perfect because of who came before me and what they accomplished.

How often are you meeting fans for whom “Discovery” is their first “Star Trek”?

What do they say to you?

They’ll say, “You’re my ‘Trek.’” And that could bring a tear to my eye, because that’s the whole point of this.

How do they say they came to the show?

There’s a little bit of everything. I get people saying, “I watched you on ‘Walking Dead,’ and then when I saw that you were on this, I decided to watch this, and now I’m watching other ‘Treks.’” Some people will say, “My sibling or parent or spouse or best friend was watching it and encouraged me to watch it.” I’ve heard, “I was there from the very beginning. I watched the original series when it was on television.” Of course, these people are typically in their early seventies, and they’ll say, “But I love ‘Discovery.’ Thank you for bringing ‘Trek’ back.”

I’ve been in tears with people before, because they’ll say, “This was what me and my dad shared,” or, “This is what me and my grandmother shared before they left.” Or they’ll say, “‘Discovery’ actually brought my family back together. There’s not very many things that we agree on, but we come together every week as a family to watch ‘Discovery.’” I’ve had more than one person say that to me.

You were just on the official “Star Trek” cruise — were you having those kinds of interactions often with fans?

Oh, yes. The thing about the cruise is that everybody’s there for the same reason. Usually, when I meet people at conventions, they could be there for lots of things. But on the cruise, it’s pointed. It is about this .

What are you doing on the cruise? What is your day like?

Oh, you’re doing all kinds of things. You’re playing a lot of games. There’s karaoke, there’s interviews. You’re also doing things like sushi making, wine tasting. There are variety shows at night. There’s sketch shows, there’s performances, there’s music, there’s concerts. Anthony Rapp did a concert. Tawny and Eugene [Cordero] did some improv. It’s all kinds of everything. 

How much interaction do you have with “Star Trek” alumni who you’d not met before?

More than I was expecting and more than I typically have. We see each other at events here and there. But I was really moved by being able to be with other people from the iterations. What really struck me was, man, I talk a lot about the family of “Star Trek: Discovery.”

But I realized on the cruise how every iteration was its own family. We learned a lot about the “Next Gen” family through Jonathan Frakes, who’s one of our most beloved directors of “Discovery.” He took us under his wing, and he would talk to us about how they were such a family. But being able to see it, it’s different.

There’s an intimacy between “Star Trek” actors and the fandom that isn’t nearly as present for other franchises — like, Ewan McGregor isn’t going on a “Star Wars” cruise. What has it been like stepping into that aspect of it? 

The fans would yell out to us at press events, at panels, “Welcome to the family!” I just met a group of ladies just a couple of months ago at a convention who said, “We only know each other because of ‘Discovery,’ but we are now like family.” That happens a lot. But it is overwhelming, too. It makes you feel that much more responsible for the story.

There are also fans who are the opposite, who’ve said, “You’re not my ‘Star Trek,’” or “This isn’t how ‘Star Trek’ should be.” What has that experience been like for you?

It is something that we have to contend with, especially in the beginning. We never allowed it to discourage us, because we understood their point of view. We would discuss these things on set all the time, because we felt as if we were caught in a kind of whirlwind. But this is an intelligent group of people. They are loyal, and they’re speaking from their hearts. They had issues, and rightfully so. They were justified to have their points of view.

It’s always hard for a new iteration of “Trek.” Apparently, this is a sort of rite of passage, to have a little bit of a rocky beginning. This is what we’ve heard from other iterations, that it took a second for the audience to grab ahold of them. That was the case for us as well. 

They did not like how futuristic we were — that’s a broad term. They didn’t like that I was at the helm. They didn’t like all the representation. They didn’t like the look of the Klingons. They didn’t like how advanced our tech was. But we had to say, “Well, but this isn’t 1966.” I remember hearing one person say that “Trek” is supposed to make you look forward, and that’s what we were doing. But it was hard for people at first to wrap their brains around it — or, really, I guess I should say, wrap their hearts around it.

You finished shooting Season 5 before Paramount+ decided it was going to be the final season — how did it feel when that announcement was made?

I kept thinking about how culminating the story seemed. It is so conclusive in a way, is it not?

It really is.

But we just thought, “Hey, see you for Season 6, and we will go even bigger.” So when I got the news, it was bittersweet and shocking. But I always felt a great sense of peace about it, and just gratitude and accomplishment and achievement.

I’m so happy we were able to go back for the coda, that Michelle Paradise and [executive producer] Alex Kurtzman really fought for that and CBS [Studios] said yes. We were able to have that real experience of, “Oh, this is the last time we’ll ever do that.” It felt like a gift. I don’t know if we needed it, but man, we really appreciated it.

The next series, “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” is set in the 32nd Century, contemporaneous to “Discovery.” Are you anticipating Michael Burnham making an appearance on that show?

Finally, while I was visiting the “Section 31” set for the cover story, I saw the cast and crew participate in what they called the Crew Appreciation Award — at the start of each day, everyone gathered around, and one member of the crew gave the award to someone else on the crew, and the following day, that person passed the award on to a new crew member. When I asked Alex Kurtzman how it started, he said I should ask you about it. What is it?

Aw! That almost makes me want to cry! That’s great to hear. I didn’t know that. OK, so, Crew Appreciation started in Season 1. A director came in — I don’t want to get his name wrong, so I won’t even say — and he said that this was something that he had come across in his travels. At the time, it was this neon construction vest, and you would pass it crew to crew. And I thought, “What a lovely thing. Let’s do that here. But it can’t be a vest because that’s cumbersome. So it’ll be a medal.” I bought some clay, and shaped it into a medal, and then I painted it gold and put a strap on it. 

And then what was so endearing is everybody added something to that medal. Costumes put a fabric backing on it, and then lighting put a lighting strip around the edge. Everybody just kept adding little pieces to it. We would do it every single day. It was a big part of our show’s culture. Some people would be embarrassed and they would say, “Thank you guys so much. Can you please just not clap for me?” So we would be like, “Got it, we will appreciate you in silence today.” But it was always so fun. One of my favorite things.

Where’s that medal now?

We don’t know! The last time somebody saw it, we hung it up in Stage 4, and we were like, “It’ll be waiting for us [for Season 5].” When we went back, it wasn’t there anymore. So it’s somewhere at Pinewood Studios. As we were shooting Season 5, we ended up 3D printing another one. Maybe we’ll have to have a scavenger hunt reunion one day.

This interview has been edited and condensed .

More From Our Brands

Jane fonda on politicians backed by big oil: ‘vote them out’, what the watch world could learn from this year’s daring, wondrous women’s collections, splash and sportico partner for $100k masters tiers contest, be tough on dirt but gentle on your body with the best soaps for sensitive skin, tvline items: legacies’ matthew davis joins nbc pilot, lifetime’s nicole brown simpson docuseries and more, verify it's you, please log in.

Quantcast

A Star Trek Origin Movie Is Coming in 2025 From 'Andor' and 'Doctor Who' Director Toby Haynes

'Star Trek' (2009) director J.J. Abrams is attached to produce.

The Big Picture

  • A new Star Trek prequel film, an "origin story", is in development, at Paramount.
  • The Star Trek history before Kirk's missions on the Enterprise is largely unwritten, leaving room for creativity with the new film.
  • Director Toby Haynes, known for Andor , is working on the film alongside writer Seth Grahame-Smith; a 2025 release window was announced at CinemaCon.

Star Trek may finally be coming back to the big screen. A prequel to the 2009 J.J. Abrams reboot of the franchise is in the works from director Toby Haynes . The news comes from Paramount's presentation at CinemaCon today, as reported by Collider's Steve Weintraub and Britta DeVore . With Haynes, who recently helmed six episodes of the acclaimed Star Wars series Andor , at the rudder, the film will be written by Seth Grahame-Smith .

So far, other details on the new film are scarce, but it will reportedly be an "origin story", taking place decades before the 2009 Star Trek film, which took place in 2255. That likely means that it will not feature the cast from the 2009 reboot, which has so far been difficult for Paramount to wrangle together for a fourth film, despite numerous attempts to do so . That doesn't necessarily mean that a fourth movie isn't happening: back in March, Paramount hired The Flight Attendant scribe Steve Yockey to pen a new script for the film. For their part, the cast is game as well, with Zoe Saldaña recently stating her willingness to return for a fourth mission on the USS Enterprise .

What Happened Decades Before Kirk's First Missions on the Enterprise?

The history of the Star Trek universe prior to the celebrated voyages of the Enterprise is largely unwritten. The first starship Enterprise 's adventures in the 22nd century were chronicled on the UPN prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise . That series ended with the founding of the United Federation of Planets in 2161, which leaves almost a century of mostly unexplored history between that and the history now being charted on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (and the first two seasons of mothership show Star Trek: Discovery ).

At some point, the nascent Federation faces a devastating war against the Romulan Star Empire , while also engaged in a Cold War with the Klingons. The USS Enterprise will eventually be launched in the 23rd century, under the captaincy of Robert April, who has been briefly glimpsed on Star Trek: The Animated Series and Strange New Worlds , before being handed off to Christopher Pike . Apart from that, however, Haynes and Graeme-Smith have a near-blank canvas upon which to make their mark.

In addition to Andor , Haynes has also helmed episodes of Doctor Who , Sherlock , and Black Mirror ; his work on the latter series includes the episode " USS Callister ," a loving pastiche of Star Trek . Graeme-Smith wrote the novels Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter ; he worked on the story for the upcoming horror comedy sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice .

A new Star Trek prequel film is in development; no date has yet been set beyond a 2025 release window . Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

IMAGES

  1. Chronology

    star trek historical timeline

  2. A Timeline of The Future: The ultimate Star Trek timeline

    star trek historical timeline

  3. Star Trek Timeline

    star trek historical timeline

  4. A Wonderful Graphic That Plots the Complex Diverging Timelines Within

    star trek historical timeline

  5. Official Star Trek Timeline Revealed

    star trek historical timeline

  6. Star Trek Releases Updated Official Timeline For Entire Franchise

    star trek historical timeline

COMMENTS

  1. Timeline of Star Trek

    This article discusses the fictional timeline of the Star Trek franchise.The franchise is primarily set in the future, ranging from the mid-22nd century (Star Trek: Enterprise) to the late 24th century (Star Trek: Picard), with the third season of Star Trek: Discovery jumping forward to the 32nd century.However the franchise has also outlined a fictional future history of Earth prior to this ...

  2. Star Trek timeline in complete chronological order, explained

    The complete Star Trek timeline so far. The current main Star Trek timeline begins in the year 2151, with the first season of Enterprise, and concludes over a millennium later in 3190 with the upcoming Star Trek Discovery season 5. After Enterprise kicked things off in 2151, the TOS-era begins in 2259, with the TOS prequel Strange New Worlds.

  3. Timeline

    The timeline or time plane of the history of the galaxy spans almost fourteen billion years, only a small fraction of which has seen the involvement of the races which currently inhabit the region. Time Alternate timelines and parallel universes Mirror universe timeline Alternate reality timeline This is the timeline of the Star Trek series and films in chronological order in-universe. This ...

  4. The Complete Star Trek Timeline Explained

    The Complete Star Trek Timeline Explained. By Dusty Stowe. Published Nov 15, 2020. From James T. Kirk to Jean-Luc Picard, from Kathryn Janeway to Michael Burnham, we're breaking down the full chronological timeline of Star Trek. Star Trek has been one of the premiere science fiction franchises in the world for over 50 years, but the sprawling ...

  5. How to Watch Star Trek in Order: The Complete Series Timeline

    Where to Watch: Paramount+ 20. Star Trek: Prodigy (2383-TBD) Star Trek: Prodigy was the first fully 3D animated Star Trek series ever and told a story that began five years after the U.S.S ...

  6. Star Trek timeline: Boldly go on a chronological journey through the

    Star Trek Discovery pre-time jump (2017-2019) Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969) Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974) Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) Star Trek 2: The Wrath of ...

  7. The Complete History of Star Trek

    The Complete History of Star Trek. From WWIII in 2026 to Spock and Nero's time-traveling in 2387 (giving birth to the current Star Trek movies), we chart out the history of the future. It's fair to say that Star Trek is one of the biggest media franchises in popular culture history - 703 episodes are spread across five series (and that's ...

  8. Ultimate Chronological Star Trek Viewing Guide

    Introduction. This Star Trek viewing guide will assist you through watching the entire franchise, based not on production dates, but on in-universe story order, all the way from the 21st to the 32nd centuries. As it is a viewing guide and not a rigid chronology, some episodes are shifted to keep things as clear and fun as possible.

  9. Star Trek Timeline

    Short Treks S1 / E2: Calypso. This is a fan-created site dedicated to providing a holistic view of the chronological timeline of events in the Star Trek universe (s). Most material is sourced from the Memory Alpha fandom wiki site. TrekTimeline.com is not endorsed, sponsored, or affiliated with CBS Studios Inc. or the "Star Trek" franchise.

  10. Star Trek Timeline Explained: From The Original Series to Picard

    In the Kelvin Timeline, Kirk is born aboard a USS Kelvin shuttlecraft as time-traveling Romulan Nero attacks the ship now being captained by James' soon-to-be-deceased father George (Star Trek 2009).

  11. How Picard Fits Into the Star Trek Timeline

    Prime Timeline Promotional portrait of the cast of the UPN television series, 'Star Trek: Enterprise,' in costume and on set, 2003. L-R: Anthony Montgomery, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Scott ...

  12. Star Trek Timeline Explained

    Ad - content continues below. 2165 - Sarek, Spock's father, is born on Vulcan. Join our mailing list. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! 2210 - Amanda Grayson ...

  13. The Entire Star Trek Timeline Explained

    The Entire Star Trek Timeline Explained. Star Trek isn't just a popular media franchise — it's a philosophy of life. Back in the '60s, when Gene Roddenberry first set loose Kirk, Spock, and Uhura upon the world, the utopian vision he spearheaded was a breath of fresh air. On the bridge of the Enterprise, people of different races, backgrounds ...

  14. Star Trek Chronology

    The Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future is a reference book detailing the history of the Star Trek universe, written and compiled by production staffers Mike and Denise Okuda, and officially endorsed and licensed by Paramount. Despite being written from an in-universe perspective, it also is annotated with some real-world commentaries by the authors. From the 2nd edition back cover ...

  15. Star Trek: Movies & TV Shows In Chronological Timeline Order

    Star Trek: Discovery (2017-2024) TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama. Ten years before Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien. Stars: Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Emily Coutts.

  16. Star Trek: Full Timeline Explained

    Subscribe: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-ScreenrantFrom the furthest reaches of our galaxy, straight to the big screen and even the small one in your living roo...

  17. Portal:Main/Panels/Interactive timeline

    With the Star Trek franchise growing faster than ever, this interactive video timeline will serve as a springboard for fans, young and old, to experience how Star Trek history fits together. Styled to mimic the LCARS interface, a simple click through the timeline will introduce you to each era with a video overview. Here you will discover key plot points of each of the series and movies set ...

  18. 'Star Trek' Timeline, Explained

    How to watch the Star Trek prime timeline in chronological order. Here's how to watch Star Trek's prime timeline in chronological order:. Star Trek: Enterprise (stardates: 2151 - 2155). Star ...

  19. Star Trek: The Original Series Timeline Explained

    The path that leads to Star Trek begins in 2063, when the eccentric scientist known as Zefram Cochrane creates Earth's first warp drive and proves that faster-than-light travel is possible. This ...

  20. The Entire Star Trek: Discovery Timeline Explained

    Modern "Star Trek" adventures have embraced this aspect of the universe, as time travel was also the direct cause of the Kelvin Timeline featured in the 2009 "Star Trek" film and its sequels. When ...

  21. Official Timeline of Star Trek

    The team at StarTrek.com has released an official infographic video A Timeline Through the Star Trek Universe, Part 1 that includes all of the various TV and Movie series in their inter-connected places on the timeline.. WATCH: A Timeline Through the Star Trek Universe, Part I. The Star Trek saga has boldly traveled through space and time throughout its over fifty year history.

  22. Star Trek's Most Mysterious Movie Is Coming Sooner Than You Think

    For 30 years — from 1979 to 2009 — the longest wait between new Star Trek feature films was seven years. And, for most of that period, from the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979 ...

  23. Star Trek's origin film officially announced; Here's everything ...

    Until something changes, we know that this is not a remake of a prior Star Trek story, like Pine's Star Trek, aka the Kelvin Timeline, was. This is supposedly a brand new, and original story.

  24. Star Trek Origin Story Movie Slated for 2025, Starts Filming This Year

    The movie is said to be set decades before 2009's Star Trek movie, which created the splinter timeline. in which the sequels Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond also take place. This ...

  25. Federation history

    The history of the United Federation of Planets is the tale of an extraordinary interstellar alliance, slowly forged from the convergence of Human, Vulcan, Tellarite, and Andorian histories, and those of its other member species. Rising from the ashes of World War III, the seeds of the Federation were brought forth in 2063, when Doctor Zefram Cochrane created Earth's first warp-capable ship ...

  26. Star Trek Origin Movie Officially Announced By Paramount For 2025 Release

    Paramount+ is making their own Star Trek movies, with the recently-wrapped Star Trek: Section 31 awaiting a release date. Starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh, Section 31 is the first made-for-streaming Star Trek movie, and it is reportedly set during Star Trek's "lost era" with connections to Star Trek: The Next Generation. Section 31 could get a sequel if successful, and the Star Trek ...

  27. Paramount Pictures Officially Confirms Star Trek Origin Movie For Its

    They wrote that the origin film would be "set decades before the original 2009 Star Trek film". That film (in-universe) is set in 2233 (Nero incursion) and 2258 (main plot) respectively.

  28. 'Star Trek: Discovery': Sonequa Martin-Green on Final Season ...

    Latest; Why 'Star Trek: Discovery' Built Season 5 Around a Classic Episode From a Legacy Series 3 days ago 'Star Trek: Discovery' Star Sonequa Martin-Green on the Show's Unexpected Final ...

  29. A Star Trek Origin Movie Is Coming in 2025 From Director ...

    A new Star Trek prequel film, an "origin story", is in development, at Paramount.; The Star Trek history before Kirk's missions on the Enterprise is largely unwritten, leaving room for creativity ...