Gene Roddenberry

Gene Roddenberry became interested in science fiction after reading an issue of Astounding Stories while still in in junior high.

Gene Roddenberry worked as a Pan-Am World Airways airline pilot for four years.

There is an asteroid named in his honor, named "4659 Roddenberry".

October 4th has been declared "Roddenberry Day" in El Paso, Texas.

Gene Roddenberry originally conceived the Klingons to look more "alien" than they do in the original Star Trek series, but budget constraints prevented this.

Gene Roddenberry's middle name, "Wesley", was purposely given to the Star Trek: The Next Generation character "Wesley Crusher".

Was a close friend of Jack Webb.

During his years in the LAPD, he was the spokesman of LAPD Chief W.H. Parker.

Died on 24 October 1991, exactly ten years after Marina Sirtis's father.

While meeting with George Takei about a role on Star Trek, Gene accidentally pronounced George's last name 'Ta-kei', which is similar to the word expensive in Japanese "takai" . He remembered the pronouncation by rhyming it with "OK".

Father, with Majel Barrett, of Rod Roddenberry.

Father of actress Dawn Roddenberry.

Shared the same birthday as Star Trek: The Next Generation star Jonathan Frakes.

Served on the Los Angeles Police Force from 1949 - 1956, badge number 6089. This information from "Star Trek Creator" by David Alexander.

His old pseudonym Robert Wesley was used in the Star Trek episode "The Ultimate Computer" as the name of a character, played by Barry Russo.

He had many lovers and was sometimes overt about it. He and Majel Barrett had been lovers for years when he decided it was time to marry her and asked her to join him -- although he happened to be visiting Japan at the time. Gene did not adhere to any particular religion and since they were in Japan they chose to have a Shinto-Buddhist wedding on 6 August 1969. They regarded this as their real wedding, but his divorce was not yet final and they made it legal with a civil ceremony on 29 December 1969.

In 1943 while a US Army Air Corps pilot, his plane crashed on takeoff due to a mechanical failure, killing two crew members.

Gene has a building named in his honor on the Paramount Studio lot.

Gene died within 48 hours of screening Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), the last Trek that revolved around his original characters.

Gene's first TV script sale, in 1953, was the episode Defense Plant Gambling for the show Mr. District Attorney. It was broadcast March 2, 1954. In the science-fiction field, his first was The Secret Weapon of 117, broadcast March 6, 1956 on the anthology series Chevron Hall of Stars.

During WWII, Gene wrote a song lyric "I Wanna Go Home", which became popular among the other troops.

On June 19, 1947 Gene was deadheading (traveling while not on duty) on a Pan Am plane when it crashed in the Syrian desert, killing 7 of 9 crew and 7 of 26 passengers on board. He rescued the Maharani of Pheleton from the wreck. Rescue came in hours, but too late to save most of the luggage, and the victims' possessions, from local tribesmen and villagers.

Gene might have died in a house fire when still a toddler along with Bob, Doris, and their mother, but a milkman came along and woke them in time.

Gene was 6' 1" (1.85 m) tall.

Gene's nickname was "The Great Bird of the Galaxy."

The film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was dedicated to Gene's memory as were two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (Unification Part 1 and Part 2).

In 1997, some of Gene's ashes were sent into space, launched by a rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

During WWII, Gene had a friend named Kim Noonien Singh; after the war Kim disappeared, and Gene used his name for some characters in the Star Trek series (Khan Noonien Singh from Star Trek II, and Noonien Soong from Star Trek: The Next Generation) hoping for Kim to contact him.

Gene was married to Eileen Anita Rexroat from June 20, 1942 until their divorce on December 24, 1969.

Gene was married to actress Majel Barrett from December 29, 1969 until his death on October 24, 1991.

Gene won the Writer's Guild Award for Have Gun-Will Travel script Helen of Abajinian.