Today In STAR TREK History: June 19th

Happy birthday to you!

Welcome to our round-up of the Star Trek episodes which received their premiere broadcast on this day throughout the show's long history, along with anything else of note that may have taken place. All viewing figures quoted are for U.S. premiere broadcast (unless noted).

June 19th
Born on this day in 1978, Zoë Yadira Saldaña Nazario began her professional career with the theater group Faces before landing a guest spot in a 1999 episode of Law & Order. Her film career began a year later with Center Stage portraying a ballet dancer.

Saldana has three especially high-profile roles to her name, including both Neytiri in the Avatar film series, and Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy. Thanks to these roles Saldana is the second-highest-grossing film actress of all time due to her appearances in three of the five highest-grossing films of all time (Avatar, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame).

The third role is of course that of Nyota Uhura in J.J. Abrams 2009 reboot of Star Trek, and its two cinematic sequels. Saldana had never seen the original series, but agreed to play the role after Abrams complimented her on her work. She met with Nichelle Nichols to understand the creation of Uhura's background and name of the character, but it was Steven Spielberg who had taught her the Vulcan salute five years earlier while he directed her in The Terminal, where she portrayed a Trekkie.
Don't you just hate it when the mother-in-law comes for a visit...

I know what you're thinking - who thought that was a good look for Riker? But his uniform is the least of his worries as the extremely man-hungry Lwaxana Troi has come for her semi-annual visit to Star Trek: The Next Generation, and that always goes well, doesn't it?

Broadcast on thiss day in 1989, Manhunt was the nineteenth episode of TNG's second season and had itself a quite notable guest-star. Not Majel Barrett, but rather drummer Mick Fleetwood from Fleetwood Mac playing an Antedean dignitary. Mind you, I'm not sure if any of the 8.9 million viewers watching on the night recognised him...

Join us again next time for another round-up of the episodes broadcast, the movie's released, the special events, the birthday's celebrated and anything else of note that went down on this day in Star Trek history.