Childhood and Education Journey of William Shatner in Timeline
An overview of the childhood and early education of William Shatner, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.
William Shatner is a Canadian actor whose career spans seven decades. He is most famous for his iconic role as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise. He began portraying Kirk in 1966, as the captain of the USS Enterprise, and continued in the role until his last appearance in the film *Star Trek Generations* in 1994. Shatner's portrayal of Captain Kirk has made him a cultural icon.
1905: Birth of Ann Garmaise
In 1905, William Shatner's mother, Ann (née Garmaise), was born.
1928: Birth of Joy Rutenberg
In 1928, William Shatner's older sister, Joy Rutenberg, was born.
1940: Birth of Farla Cohen
In 1940, William Shatner's younger sister, Farla Cohen, was born.
1952: Graduation from McGill University
In 1952, William Shatner graduated from the McGill University Faculty of Management in Montreal with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.
August 12, 1956: Marriage to Gloria Rand
On August 12, 1956, William Shatner married Gloria Rand, a Canadian actress.
1958: Birth of Daughter Leslie Shatner
In 1958, William Shatner and Gloria Rand's first daughter, Leslie, was born.
1961: Birth of Daughter Lisabeth Shatner
In 1961, William Shatner and Gloria Rand's daughter, Lisabeth, was born.
1964: Birth of Daughter Melanie Shatner
In 1964, William Shatner and Gloria Rand's daughter, Melanie, was born.
1967: Possible Tinnitus Trigger
In 1967, William Shatner believes a pyrotechnical accident during the shooting of the Star Trek episode "Arena" may have triggered his tinnitus, a hearing disorder.
March 1969: Divorce from Gloria Rand
In March 1969, William Shatner divorced his first wife, Gloria Rand, after leaving her during his time acting in Star Trek: The Original Series.
1969: Star Trek cancellation
In 1969, after the cancellation of Star Trek, William Shatner reunited with Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek: The Animated Series, marking a continuation of their professional relationship after the original show's end.
1973: Marriage to Marcy Lafferty
In 1973, William Shatner married Marcy Lafferty, the daughter of television producer Perry Lafferty.
1987: King of Mardi Gras Bacchus parade
In 1987, William Shatner was the king of the Mardi Gras Bacchus parade, a ceremonial role in the festivities.
1990: Support for Hollywood Charity Horse Show
Since 1990, William Shatner has been one of the most important supporters of the Hollywood Charity Horse Show, which raises money for organizations serving children.
1993: Publication of "Star Trek Memories"
In his 1993 book "Star Trek Memories", William Shatner recalls his disappointment at the premiere of the first Star Trek movie, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture".
1994: Grand Marshal of Tournament of Roses Parade
On New Year's Day 1994, William Shatner served as the Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, leading the event on horseback and participating in the coin toss for the Rose Bowl game.
1996: Divorce from Marcy Lafferty
In 1996, William Shatner's marriage to Marcy Lafferty ended in divorce.
1997: Marriage to Nerine Kidd Against Advice
In 1997, William Shatner married Nerine Kidd against the advice of many and his own better judgement, with Leonard Nimoy serving as his best man.
1997: Marriage to Nerine Kidd
In 1997, William Shatner married Nerine Kidd.
1999: Nerine Shatner's death and Heather Locklear's support
In 1999, after the death of Nerine Shatner, Heather Locklear provided comfort and support to William Shatner during his bereavement, showcasing their close friendship.
2000: Plans for "The Shiva Club" Dark Comedy
In 2000, Reuters reported that William Shatner was planning to write and direct "The Shiva Club", a dark comedy inspired by his wife's death.
2001: Marriage to Elizabeth Anderson Martin
In 2001, William Shatner married Elizabeth Anderson Martin.
August 2004: Doohan's final convention appearance and reconciliation
In August 2004, at the time of James Doohan's final convention appearance, it was reported that he had forgiven William Shatner, and they had achieved a friendship as senior citizens that had eluded them when they were younger.
2004: "What Have You Done" on "Has Been" Album
William Shatner's 2004 album "Has Been" included a spoken word piece titled "What Have You Done", which describes his anguish upon discovering Nerine Kidd's body.
May 16, 2006: Sale of kidney stone for charity
On May 16, 2006, William Shatner appeared on The View and announced that he had sold his kidney stone to GoldenPalace.com for $25,000 and donated the proceeds, along with an additional $20,000 raised from the cast and crew of Boston Legal, to Habitat for Humanity.
2008: Publication of Up Till Now
In 2008, William Shatner's memoir, Up Till Now, co-written with David Fisher, was published.
2008: Publication of Autobiography "Up Till Now"
In his 2008 book "Up Till Now: The Autobiography", William Shatner disclosed Leonard Nimoy's attempts to help Nerine Kidd with her alcoholism.
February 28, 2010: Speaker at Vancouver Winter Olympics closing ceremony
On February 28, 2010, William Shatner was one of the speakers at the closing ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
2010: Convention Describing the Film
At a convention held in 2010, William Shatner described the 2009 Star Trek film as "wonderful".
2014: Grand Marshal of Calgary Stampede parade
In 2014, William Shatner served as the Grand Marshal at the 102nd Calgary Stampede parade in his native Canada.
2015: Leonard Nimoy's death
In 2015, following the death of Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner expressed his grief, stating that he loved Nimoy like a brother and would miss his humor and talent. Although unable to attend the funeral, Shatner's daughters attended, and he organized an online memorial.
September 2016: Special Guest at Salt Lake Comic Con
In September 2016, William Shatner attended the Salt Lake Comic Con as their special guest, highlighting his connection to the science fiction community.
2016: Shatner reveals estrangement from Nimoy
In 2016, William Shatner revealed that he and Leonard Nimoy had not spoken in the five years prior to Nimoy's death the previous year, despite their long-standing friendship and professional relationship.
2017: Honorary Captain of Star Trek: The Cruise
In 2017, William Shatner acted as the honorary captain of "Star Trek: The Cruise", celebrating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek's original pilot episode.
2017: Support and Controversy with Autism Speaks
In 2017, William Shatner tweeted support for Autism Speaks, leading to arguments with autistic people and allies and citing anti-vaccination website NaturalNews. Days later, Shatner called the episode a misunderstanding.
2018: Opposition to Dolphin Program
In 2018, William Shatner, as honorary captain of "Star Trek: The Cruise", opposed the inclusion of a dolphin-swimming program, citing the Prime Directive.
2019: Filing for Divorce from Elizabeth
In 2019, William Shatner filed for divorce from Elizabeth Anderson Martin.
January 2020: Finalization of Divorce from Elizabeth Anderson Martin
In January 2020, William Shatner's divorce from Elizabeth Anderson Martin was finalized.
2020: Twitter Argument About Identity
In 2020, William Shatner engaged in a month-long argument on Twitter with other users regarding being called a "straight white cis man."
2020: Shatner reveals joint problems and uses CBD oil
In 2020, William Shatner revealed that he suffers from swollen joints and age-related aches and pains, and he treats his discomfort with cannabidiol oil, a dietary supplement extracted from cannabis.
March 2021: Release of Senior Moment
In March 2021, William Shatner's film Senior Moment, co-starring Jean Smart and Christopher Lloyd, was released on the same week Shatner turned 90.
July 2021: Wally Funk's Spaceflight
In July 2021, Wally Funk flew on Blue Origin's first crewed spaceflight at the age of 82, becoming the oldest person to fly into space, a record that William Shatner later surpassed in October 2021.
October 13, 2021: Spaceflight on Blue Origin NS-18
On October 13, 2021, William Shatner participated in Blue Origin's second sub-orbital human spaceflight, Blue Origin NS-18, becoming the oldest person to fly into space at the age of 90 years, 205 days.
2021: Dismissive of Jewish Convert of Color
In 2021, The Forward noted that William Shatner was dismissive of a Jewish convert of color, drawing parallels to his arguments about the term "cis" and Autism Speaks.
2021: Shatner's Space Flight
In 2021, at the age of 90, William Shatner flew into space aboard Blue Origin NS-18, becoming the oldest person to fly in space at the time.
February 24, 2022: Shatner's Support for Ukraine
Four days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on February 24, 2022, William Shatner issued a statement via Twitter expressing unqualified support for the Ukrainians in the resistance.
December 4, 2022: Star Guest at L.A. Comic Con
On December 4, 2022, William Shatner was a star guest at the L.A. Comic Con, continuing his engagement with science fiction fans.
2023: Spiner says Shatner's Twitter Managed by Employee
In 2023, Brent Spiner stated that William Shatner had informed him his Twitter (now X) account was managed by an employee, and that Shatner had minimal direct involvement in the account's content.
May 19, 2024: Ed Dwight Surpasses Shatner's Space Record
On May 19, 2024, Ed Dwight, a retired U.S. Air Force pilot, surpassed William Shatner's record as the oldest person to fly into space at the age of 90 years, 253 days.
2025: Reconciliation with Elizabeth
As of 2025, William Shatner and Elizabeth Martin, although divorced, have reconciled, with Shatner again referring to her as his wife.
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