Boldly Go

Gene Roddenberry: 15 surprising facts about the Star Trek creator

On August 19, 2021, Gene Roddenberry would have turned 100-years-old. His most famous creation — Star Trek — is 55 years old this year. Here are a few fascinating details you might not know about the “Great Bird of the Galaxy.”

by Ryan Britt
William Shatner, "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and Patrick Stewart (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd...
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images
One early Star Trek idea was set on a steampunk airship

Before he pitched Star Trek, Roddenberry imagined doing a TV series set on an “airship” in Victorian times with a multicultural crew. Really!

Shutterstock
Roddenberry was a former cop, who wrote radio stories for Dragnet

As a member of the Los Angeles Police Department in the 1950s, Roddenberry used his experience to write scripts for cop shows on TV and the radio.

Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Tap