One thing that we pop culture obsessives like to make a fuss about is anniversaries. It makes sense. It’s an excuse to celebrate a thing you love coupled with the validation of knowing that thing has stayed popular for long enough to reach a milestone anniversary. And boy, does Star Trek have a lot of anniversaries in 2021. In addition to its landmark fifty-fifth anniversary, this year will see the franchise celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the original crew’s swan song in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the classic Next Generation film Star Trek: First Contact, and the twentieth anniversary of Star Trek: Enterprise, among others. But perhaps the most important of all is coming up on August 19. That date marks the one hundredth birthday of Gene Roddenberry.
Obviously, the Great Bird’s centennial is the sort of event that demands a celebration, and that’s just what’s coming. As announced on the official Star Trek website, the core of the celebration is a yearlong campaign dubbed “Think Trek,” which is centered not just on Star Trek but on Roddenberry’s broader legacy, with an emphasis on the values it represents and his contributions to culture and the humanities. Think Trek consists of several sub-campaigns, including Talk Trek (a 100 episode daily video series centered on Roddenberry’s many quotes leading up to his birthday), See Trek (showcasing the ways fans see Star Trek in everyday life – everything from street signs to baked goods), Be Trek (focused on stories that demonstrate the values associated with Star Trek), and Make Trek (featuring brick build recreations of iconic Star Trek moments)
More information on the centennial celebrations can be found on the Roddenberry.com website and its associated Facebook and Twitter pages. Be sure to check back with Geek Anything throughout the year for more on this and other upcoming Star Trek anniversary celebrations.
