Happy First Contact day, fellow nerds! The future Star Trek holiday, which takes place on April 5, 2063, is the day that human inventor Zephram Cochrane made his first warp speed flight on his ship, the Phoenix. During flight he drew the attention of the Vulcans, which led to humanity’s first contact with an alien race. This led to Earth joining the greater galactic community and the creation of the United Federation of Planets.
The date was chosen by writer Ronald D. Moore, who picked his son Jonathan’s birthday as the special day. First Contact Day is all the more poignant at this very moment in human history, as we battle a global pandemic. Cochrane’s contact with the Vulcans eventually pushed humanity to greatness, leading to the end of poverty, war, and injustice on Earth. By joining the greater universe and building community, humanity became better.
And while we should eschew actual human contact (6 feet away, masks up) we can still enjoy and celebrate our humanity and the enduring spirit of our species. And it’s another reminder to rise to our best selves on this particular occasion. Be kind, be thoughtful, and be compassionate.
We can all perform simple acts of everyday heroism by not hoarding resources, by checking in on our friends and family, by reaching out to those we love. It’s a scary time, but we’re all in this together. Many took to social media to celebrate First Contact Day:
Today is April 5th, which means it's #FirstContactDay!
The day in Star Trek mythology that humanity, at its lowest point (and a time-displaced Picard at his most bitterly disillusioned) took the silly risk of being optimistic, and everything changed.
It gives me feelings. pic.twitter.com/DHXimg9ou6
— Anthony Oliveira (@meakoopa) April 5, 2020
Captain's log, stardate 73726.8. We have beamed down onto an M-class planet for shore leave. There seem to be signs of civilisation but the streets are empty and the businesses closed.
Happy #FirstContactDay from me and my Dad! pic.twitter.com/ecXf4Avlwq
— Toby (@tobyjamez) April 5, 2020
Instead of First Contact Day, we get this
#StarTrek #FirstContactDay pic.twitter.com/NGjUYpYggP
— Captain Edward Jellico (@STDeltaShift) April 5, 2020
Happy #FirstContactDay!
In these uncertain times it is paramount to hold onto the belief that we are better together, whether on Earth or amongst the galaxy, as nearly 54 years of @StarTrek has taught us.
Now is the time for compassion first. We’ll work on warp speed later 🖖 pic.twitter.com/rfotvjXkBb
— ⚔️🖤Heather Rae @🏠🖖🏼 #StayHomeSaveLives (@BatlethBabe) April 5, 2020
Captain’s Log: Stardate 19: I posted this yesterday in the @starwars subreddit on @reddit in honor of @StarTrek’s #FirstContactDay today. I wanted to show them that, like her husband who shot first; Leia made first contact. 😏😘 It was a match made in 😳🤔🤷🏼♂️🤣. #missyouCarrie pic.twitter.com/ppxZG1N5R5
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) April 5, 2020
‘Resistance is futile’
Happy First Contact Day and happiest of birthdays to my sister! Here’s my sister and brother-in-laws first attempt a borg cake with a Enterprise pizza cutter🖖🏻🍕 #firstcontact #FirstContactDay #startrek pic.twitter.com/FI81VkLARS
— quinnnyyy⁷ (@QUINC1D3NCE) April 5, 2020
Today is #FirstContactDay. However, to me, every day is First Contact Day because every day I imagine establishing first contact with Jean-Luc. 😏 pic.twitter.com/soLMwlEu9c
— Alexander 🏳️🌈 (@Mr_Picard) April 5, 2020
That feeling you get when it’s #FirstContactDay, but not officially for another 43 years… pic.twitter.com/kZHF9pAoIR
— Matt (ThomasandMatt) (@SiFsBartender) April 5, 2020
Star Trek: First Contact is available on Amazon Prime, and the good folks at StarTrek.com are holding a virtual tweet-a-long with the film at 12pm PST.
April 5th marks #FirstContactDay as well as the perfect day to watch Star Trek: First Contact! Join us Sunday at 12pm PT as we watch and share our favorite moments from the movie🖖 #StarTrek pic.twitter.com/osmkhtUu1R
— Star Trek (@StarTrek) April 3, 2020
Live long and prosper, friends.
(image: Paramount Pictures)
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