First Contact Day on April 5th commemorates a fictional date in the future when an alien species visits Earth and makes contact with Earthlings for the first time.
While the fictional date of 2063 is less than half a generation away, mere humans contemplate the possibilities the further we explore space. Not only do the modern explorers keep our interests piqued, but the science fiction genre continues to pour out stories that thrill and excite us.
- 1953 – The War of the Worlds directed by Byron Haskin and starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson.
- 1966 – “Star Trek,” now known as “The Original Series”, debuts on NBC.
- 1977 – Close Encounters of the Third Kind directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Francois Truffaut, and Terri Garr.
- 1979 – The first “Star Trek” movie, “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” is released.
- 1982 – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, and C. Thomas Howell.
- 1996 – Star Trek: First Contact was released in theaters across the nation. Starfleet and crew travel through time and encounter the historical figure, Dr. Zefram Cochrane. His spacecraft, the Phoenix, launches and becomes the first in human history to reach warp drive. Moments after the launch, Vulcans appear at the base near Boseman, Montana.
- 1997 – Contact directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, and James Woods
- 2063 – The date is April 5, 2063, and First Contact Day honors the achievements of Dr. Cochrane and the historic first interactions between humans and Vulcans. Present-day sci-fi fans celebrate the event as well.
- Star Trek Day is celebrated annually on September 8.
- The Vulcan salute is an awesome way to greet people any time of the year and especially so on First Contact Day. Live long and prosper!
- The gesture represents the Hebrew letter, Shin — Shin also represents the word ‘Shaddai,’ which means ‘God’ in Hebrew.
- Not only did Leonard Nimoy bring Captain Spock to life, but he is also credited with creating the iconic Vulcan salute!
- No party is complete without food and what better way to celebrate First Contact Day than to savor some of Cochrane’s favorite food? Cheese pierogies!
- We’re used to Spock’s slightly green-tinted skin but, originally, the makers wanted him to have red skin.
- Mark Lenard was the first actor in the franchise’s history to have played the roles of a Romulan, a Klingon, and a Vulcan.
- Space-themed music is so next year! While hosting that party, some excellent tunes (including some oldies that Zefram Cochrane loved!) will be necessary to get everyone grooving. Try these songs out on a playlist:
- Magic Carpet Ride (1968) Steppenwolf
- Ooby Dooby (1961) Roy Orbison
- Star Trekkin’ (1987) The Firm
- The Picard Song (2001) Dark Materia
- Space Song (2015) Beach House
- Intergalactic (1998) Beastie Boys
- Mr. Spock’s Brain (1993) S.P.O.C.K.
- To learn more about First Contact Day and the entire Star Trek franchise, take a little peek at the website.
- So why does First Contact Day happen on April 5th? It seems that the show’s co-creator, Ronald D. Moore, chose the day because it is his eldest son’s birthday.
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