Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
WhatToWatch
WhatToWatch
Entertainment
Sarabeth Pollock

Star Trek Universe celebrates First Contact Day

Picard
Cast of Star Trek: Picard season 3 at the Hollywood premiere

If the timeline holds up, we’ll be meeting the Vulcans in 40 years, in the year 2063. That first meeting between humans and Vulcans is known as First Contact Day — celebrated on April 5 — and the casts of Star Trek franchises from Picard to Strange New Worlds to Prodigy and beyond celebrated the occasion on social media. 

You might have spotted First Contact Day trending on social media as the members of the Star Trek Universe commemorated the day. The day in question is a reference to a major plot point in the 1996 film Star Trek: First Contact, in which the crew of the Enterprise (and by “crew” we mean the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew) find themselves transported back in time. In order to save the future, they must help Zefram Cochrane, the inventor of the warp core, to complete his task so that the Vulcans take notice. 

First Contact was also a big moment for TNG cast member Jonathan Frakes, who made his feature film directorial debut with the movie. Since then he’s directed a number of shows and movies, with his most recent turn behind the camera coming on Star Trek: Picard season 3. 

This year’s First Contact Day is very special because The Next Generation cast has been reunited in Picard season 3, and seeing them back in action has been a nostalgia-laden thrill for longtime fans, many of whom first discovered Star Trek through the first spinoff of the original series. 

Of course, we’re living in a bold new age of Star Trek thanks to the efforts of an enthusiastic team at Paramount Plus who have created multiple spinoffs, many of which are interconnected with overlapping stories and characters. The franchise is bigger and bolder than ever before, with more shows like Star Trek: Starfleet Academy on the horizon. 

All it takes is a look at the enthusiasm from the Star Trek Universe’s cast members to see how excited they are to celebrate First Contact Day together. 

Here's some love from the Star Trek: Picard crew:

The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast celebrated First Contact Day with new promo pictures for their upcoming second season.

And the Lower Decks crew got in the action, too:

And of course Star Trek wouldn't be what it is today without the fans:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Ninja Slushi review: Should you buy or skip it?
The Ninja Slushi is a fun appliance for turning liquids into slush quickly, quietly, and with minimal clean-up. But knowing the caveats, is it worth buying for $299, or should you skip it?
Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
“My eyebrows are singed, my mouth is blistered, my arms are pretty bad”: Slipknot’s Sid Wilson is hospitalised with “serious burns” following farming accident
Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson reveals he has suffered burns to his face and arms after an explosion, assures fans that he’ll still play upcoming shows
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Phil Donahue obituary
Unpretentious US talkshow host whose popularity was built on addressing women’s issues and involving the audience
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Does eating ham, bacon and beef really increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes?
That lunchtime staple, the humble ham sandwich, has come in for a bashing in the press recently. According to many reports, eating two slices of ham a day can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The Conversation
The Conversation
Why Rotten Tomatoes’ ratings overhaul does no one any favours
The review aggregator website is giving increased prominence to ‘audience scores’, with critically panned dreck scooping up top grades. It’s the sign of something bigger and more troubling in our culture, writes Louis Chilton
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Supermassive black holes have masses of more than a million suns – but their growth has slowed as the universe aged
Supermassive black holes have masses of more than a million suns – but their growth has slowed as the universe aged
Space
Space
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play