"Boldly go where no man has gone before"

Own Mint Stamps Honoring Three Generations of Star Trek

The “Star Trek” television show first launched in 1966, and released 80 episodes in three years.  But that was only the beginning.  The popularity of the show spawned five more series, including an animated version.  Plus, 11 movies have been made based on the show.  So far, more than 700 episodes have been aired.

The show captured the imagination in a way few others had.  Captain James T. Kirk promised viewers that the U.S.S. Enterprise would “boldly go where no man has gone before” at the outset of each “Star Trek” episode.  And while the science fiction was thrilling and groundbreaking for the time, the topics the series explored represented new horizons for television.  

Star Trek aired at a time when issues of racism gripped America, and the Cold War and the expansion of Communism threatened the Western world.  Yet the show bypassed those concerns and assumed a future where men and women from all parts of the world – or galaxy – worked together.  

This was pretty daring for the time.  The crew of the Enterprise was made up of different races and nationalities, including important characters of Chinese and Russian heritage – two nations that were America’s bitter rivals.  The diversity of the cast was new, and the series dealt with contemporary issues such as prejudice and warfare.  This stamp commemorates this show that would boldly go not just into space, but also into some of the most complex topics of the day.