Today In STAR TREK History: July 13th

In which we engage in some warm birthday wishes.

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).

July 13th
Sir Patrick Stewart OBE was born on this day in 1940. Beginning his career with a long run as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stewart received the 1979 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Antony and Cleopatra in the West End. Among Stewart's first major screen roles was Sejanus in the 1976 BBC I, Claudius miniseries.

Among Sir Pat's other notable roles are; Karla in the 1979 adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and 1982's Smiley's People; Claudius in a 1980 BBC adaptation of Hamlet, Dr Edward Roebuck in BBC's 1981 version of Maybury. On the big screen you may have seen him as King Leondegrance in John Boorman's Excalibur, as Gurney Halleck in David Lynch's Dune, and playing Dr. Armstrong in Tobe Hooper's Lifeforce.

Of course, from 1987 onward Patrick Stewart has played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, its subsequent films and Star Trek: Picard. And although Picard is now a role he's portrayed for 35 years, Sir Pat still found time to carve out a career as a superhero, playing Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men series of superhero films. In 2010 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama.

We wish a very warm happy birthday to you Sir.

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.