The Complete Star Trek Timeline Explained

In 2026, Star Trek will mark its 60th anniversary. Created by Gene Roddenberry, this iconic sci-fi franchise has grown to include over a dozen TV series with almost 1000 episodes, plus 14 movies. The main Star Trek timeline follows the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet as they explore strange new worlds across a thousand years of history, from the 22nd to the 32nd centuries, always boldly going where no one has gone before.

Throughout its history, Star Trek hasn’t usually presented stories in a simple, linear order. Time travel, alternate universes, and big leaps into the future are all common elements. Star Trek essentially exists as a collection of many different realities, including the famous Mirror Universe. The show’s timeline is full of memorable characters and thought-provoking science fiction stories.

This is a complete guide to the timeline of Star Trek, focusing on the original TV series and movies in order. It also includes details about the alternate timeline created by J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek films when relevant.

28. Star Trek: Enterprise

(2151-2155)

Star Trek: Enterprise takes place before all other Star Trek series, telling the story of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the crew of the NX-01 Enterprise in the 22nd century. Although it was the sixth Star Trek show made, it’s the first in the timeline. The NX-01 Enterprise is special because it’s Starfleet’s first starship that can travel at Warp 5, allowing Archer and his crew to make humanity’s first official contact with many alien civilizations and ultimately help establish the United Federation of Planets. The show’s four seasons cover only the first few years of Archer’s decade-long journey, which culminates in the founding of the Federation in 2161.

27. Star Trek: The Original Series – “The Cage”

(2254)

“The Cage” was the first pilot episode for Star Trek, but it wasn’t initially picked up by NBC. Despite this, it’s considered an official part of the Star Trek story, taking place two years before season one of Star Trek: Discovery and twelve years before Star Trek: The Original Series. The episode, set in 2254, follows Captain Christopher Pike (played by Jeffrey Hunter) and the USS Enterprise as they’re drawn to the planet Talos IV, where Pike is captured by its inhabitants who can create illusions. Later, Star Trek: The Original Series adapted “The Cage” into a two-part episode called “The Menagerie,” and it also served as the basis for the series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

26. Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1 and 2

(2256-2258)

Star Trek: Discovery starts with a failed attempt at peace between Starfleet and the Klingons in 2256, sparking a brutal war that almost destroyed the Federation’s core values. The show follows Commander Michael Burnham (played by Sonequa Martin-Green) and explores the impact of war, along with ideas about finding forgiveness and understanding others.

Season one of Star Trek: Discovery focused on the Klingon War, and season two introduced Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) of the USS Enterprise. Facing a dangerous AI named Control that threatened all living things, the crew of the USS Discovery made the difficult decision to travel to the 32nd century, effectively leaving their original time period in the 23rd century behind.

25. Star Trek

(Kelvin Timeline 2233/Kelvin Timeline 2258/2387)

J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movie isn’t a sequel, but a fresh start that creates a new timeline, often called the Kelvin Timeline. The story takes place in 2258 within this alternate reality. This new timeline exists because of a massive stellar explosion – the destruction of the Romulan sun in 2387 in the original timeline – which Ambassador Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy, couldn’t stop.

In the film, the Romulan villain Nero, played by Eric Bana, travels back in time to 2233. His attack on the USS Kelvin creates an altered reality, dramatically impacting the lives of Captain James T. Kirk, portrayed by Chris Pine, and the crew of the USS Enterprise. After Kirk and the Enterprise overcome Nero, they venture out to explore the vastness of space.

24. Star Trek Into Darkness

(Kelvin Timeline 2259)

Picking up a year after the first film, Star Trek Into Darkness brings back the villain Khan Noonien Singh (played by Benedict Cumberbatch), whose history has been changed due to the alternate timeline. Instead of being found by the Enterprise in 2267, Khan’s ship is discovered much earlier by Section 31, a secretive division of Starfleet led by the unethical Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller). Marcus tries to weaponize Khan and start a war with the Klingons, but Captain Kirk and the Enterprise crew ultimately stop both him and Khan.

23. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

(2259-2265)

Set in 2259, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the Starship Enterprise as they embark on new adventures. The series takes place a few months after the events of Star Trek: Discovery season 2 and shows what life was like on the Enterprise before Star Trek: The Original Series. It features younger versions of familiar characters like Spock (Ethan Peck), Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush), Scotty (Martin Quinn), and a pre-captain James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), all serving aboard the ship.

Even knowing the sad fate that awaits him, Strange New Worlds focuses on the years before Captain Kirk takes command, portraying a hopeful and adventurous era. The show’s ability to seamlessly blend different genres – including comedy, action, and even a musical episode – makes it feel like a classic Star Trek series, more so than anything we’ve seen in a long time.

22. Star Trek Beyond

(Kelvin Timeline 2263)

Three years into their five-year journey of discovery, the crew of the Starship Enterprise is ambushed by the enigmatic Krall (Idris Elba). Krall’s robotic army decimates the Enterprise, leaving Captain Kirk and his crew marooned on the planet Altamid. With the assistance of a new friend, Jaylah (Sofia Boutella), Kirk and his team manage to overcome Krall and prevent him from destroying Starfleet’s USS Yorktown station. By the end of Star Trek Beyond, Captain Kirk assumes command of the newly built USS Enterprise-A.

21. Star Trek: The Original Series

(2266-2269)

As a lifelong fan, I’ll always remember Star Trek: The Original Series as where it all began. It follows Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise during the first three years of their incredible five-year journey, starting in 2266. This show isn’t just a classic – it defined everything that would come after in the Star Trek universe. From spaceships to teleporting down to new worlds, and especially that amazing bond between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, it set the standard. It wasn’t just copied by every Star Trek series that followed, it truly became a lasting piece of pop culture history.

20. Star Trek: The Animated Series

(2269-2270)

Despite being canceled after only three seasons, Star Trek: The Original Series became incredibly popular in reruns. One early sign of its lasting success was Star Trek: The Animated Series, an Emmy-winning cartoon designed to be enjoyable for the whole family while still capturing the spirit of the original live-action show. Many fans and now official sources consider The Animated Series to be a continuation of the original – essentially a fourth season – and its events are frequently referenced in the newer Star Trek shows on Paramount+.

19. Star Trek: The Motion Picture

(2270s)

Released in 1979, Star Trek: The Motion Picture marked the beginning of the popular Star Trek film series. The story picks up in the 2270s, after the USS Enterprise has completed its five-year mission. Admiral James T. Kirk returns to command the ship, bringing his original crew back together to investigate a dangerous threat to Earth. The film successfully reunited the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series and, despite its slow pace, featured impressive visual effects, proving that the adventures of these characters were far from over.

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2026-04-03 13:14