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 renowned for his iconic portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise. Beginning with the original Star Trek television series in 1966, Shatner embodied the character of Captain Kirk, captaining the starship Enterprise and leading its crew on numerous adventures. He continued in the role through seven Star Trek feature films, concluding with Star Trek Generations in 1994. His performance as Kirk solidified his place in pop culture history, making him a widely recognized and celebrated figure in the entertainment industry.
1905: Birth of Ann Garmaise
In 1905, Ann Garmaise, William Shatner's mother, was born.
1928: Birth of Joy Rutenberg
In 1928, Joy Rutenberg, William Shatner's older sister, was born.
March 22, 1931: William Shatner's Birth
On March 22, 1931, William Shatner was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
1940: Birth of Farla Cohen
In 1940, Farla Cohen, William Shatner's younger sister, was born.
1952: Graduated from McGill University
In 1952, William Shatner graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the McGill University Faculty of Management in Montreal.
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, Leslie Shatner, William Shatner's daughter, was born.
1961: Birth of daughter Lisabeth Shatner
In 1961, Lisabeth Shatner, William Shatner's daughter, was born.
1964: Birth of daughter Melanie Shatner
In 1964, Melanie Shatner, William Shatner's daughter, was born.
1967: Pyrotechnical Accident During Star Trek Episode
In 1967, during the shooting of the Star Trek episode "Arena", a pyrotechnical accident may have triggered Shatner's tinnitus, a hearing disorder.
April 1968: Fan Incident
In April 1968, a group of Star Trek fans attempted to tear Shatner's clothes from him as he left 30 Rockefeller Plaza, highlighting the intensity of fan adoration.
March 1969: Divorce from Gloria Rand
In March 1969, William Shatner divorced his first wife, Gloria Rand, after leaving her while acting in Star Trek: The Original Series.
1973: Marriage to Marcy Lafferty
In 1973, William Shatner married Marcy Lafferty, the daughter of television producer Perry Lafferty.
1977: The $10,000 Pyramid Blunder
In 1977, Shatner perpetrated a blunder on The $10,000 Pyramid by blurting out the word "blessed" instead of hinting at it, costing his partner a $20,000 prize and causing Shatner to throw his chair in anger.
1987: King of Mardi Gras Bacchus Parade
In 1987, Shatner was king of the Mardi Gras Bacchus parade.
December 1989: This Is Your Life
In December 1989, Shatner was surprised by Michael Aspel on the set of the Starship Enterprise for the British television series This Is Your Life.
1990: Supporter of the Hollywood Charity Horse Show
Since 1990, Shatner has been a supporter of the Hollywood Charity Horse Show, which raises money for organizations serving children.
1994: Grand Marshal of Tournament of Roses Parade
On New Year's Day in 1994, Shatner served as the Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, riding on horseback and participating in the coin toss at the Rose Bowl game.
1996: Divorce from Marcy Lafferty
In 1996, William Shatner divorced his second wife, Marcy Lafferty, after a marriage lasting from 1973.
1997: Marriage to Nerine Kidd and her battle with alcoholism
In 1997, William Shatner married Nerine Kidd, who struggled with alcoholism. Leonard Nimoy supported her and took her to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, but she didn't want to quit.
1997: Marriage to Nerine Kidd
In 1997, William Shatner married Nerine Kidd.
August 9, 1999: Death of Nerine Kidd Shatner
On August 9, 1999, William Shatner found his third wife, Nerine Kidd, deceased at the bottom of their swimming pool, her death ruled as accidental drowning.
1999: Book about Trekkies
In 1999, William Shatner wrote a book about Trekkies in the aftermath of his Saturday Night Live rebuke to them. The book was later developed into a documentary film called Get a Life!
1999: Comforting Shatner
In 1999, after the death of Nerine Shatner, Heather Locklear offered comfort to William Shatner during his bereavement.
2001: Marriage to Elizabeth Anderson Martin
In 2001, William Shatner married Elizabeth Anderson Martin.
August 2004: Doohan Forgives Shatner
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 friendship after a long time.
May 16, 2006: Sale of Kidney Stone
On May 16, 2006, William Shatner mentioned on The View that he sold a kidney stone to GoldenPalace.com for $25,000, donating the proceeds and an additional $20,000 to Habitat for Humanity.
2008: Publication of Memoir
In 2008, William Shatner released his memoir, Up Till Now, co-written with David Fisher. This book offers insights into Shatner's life and career up to that point.
2008: Up Till Now: The Autobiography Publication
In his 2008 book 'Up Till Now: The Autobiography', William Shatner discussed Leonard Nimoy's efforts to help Nerine Kidd with her alcoholism.
February 28, 2010: Speaker at 2010 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony
On February 28, 2010, Shatner was one of the speakers at the closing ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
2014: Grand Marshal at Calgary Stampede Parade
In 2014, Shatner was the Grand Marshal at the 102nd Calgary Stampede parade in his native Canada.
September 2016: Special Guest at Salt Lake Comic Con
In September 2016, Shatner attended the Salt Lake Comic Con as a special guest.
2016: Shatner reveals estrangement from Nimoy
In 2016, William Shatner revealed that he and Leonard Nimoy had not spoken to each other in the five years before Nimoy's death in 2015, despite their long and affectionate relationship.
2017: Honorary Captain of Star Trek Cruise
In 2017, Shatner acted as the honorary captain of a ship hosting 'Star Trek: The Cruise', celebrating the 50th anniversary of the original Star Trek pilot.
2018: Petition Against Dolphin Program
In 2018, Shatner, through PETA, petitioned the CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line to exclude dolphins from their cruise program, citing the Prime Directive.
2019: Filing for divorce from Elizabeth
In 2019, William Shatner filed for divorce from Elizabeth Anderson Martin.
January 2020: Divorce from Elizabeth Martin finalized
In January 2020, William Shatner's divorce from Elizabeth Anderson Martin was finalized.
2020: Shatner Treats Discomfort with Cannabidiol Oil
In 2020, Shatner revealed that he suffers from swollen joints and age-related aches and pains, treating his discomfort with cannabidiol oil, a dietary supplement extracted from cannabis.
July 2021: Wally Funk's spaceflight
In July 2021, Wally Funk flew on Blue Origin's first crewed spaceflight at the age of 82.
October 13, 2021: Shatner's 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, traveling on the RSS First Step. At 90 years old, he became the oldest person to fly into space. He described experiencing the overview effect during his spaceflight.
2021: Flew into Space
In 2021, at the age of 90, William Shatner flew into space aboard Blue Origin NS-18, becoming the oldest person to do so at that time.
February 24, 2022: Support for Ukraine
On February 24, 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, William Shatner issued a statement on Twitter expressing support for the Ukrainians resisting the invasion.
December 4, 2022: Beam-Down at L.A. Comic Con
On December 4, 2022, William Shatner was a star guest at the L.A. Comic Con.
2023: Shatner's Twitter Management
In 2023, Brent Spiner stated that Shatner had informed him that his Twitter account was managed by an employee and that Shatner had minimal direct involvement in its content.
May 19, 2024: Ed Dwight surpasses Shatner as the oldest person in space
On May 19, 2024, retired U.S. Air Force pilot Ed Dwight, at the age of 90 years, 253 days, became the oldest person to fly into space, surpassing William Shatner's record.
2024: Ed Dwight's Spaceflight
In 2024, Ed Dwight, at age 90 but older than Shatner by 48 days, flew on the suborbital Blue Origin NS-25 spaceflight.
2025: Reconciliation with Elizabeth Martin
As of 2025, William Shatner and Elizabeth Anderson Martin have reconciled and Shatner is referring to her as his wife once again.
2025: Takei Wishes Shatner a Happy Birthday
In 2025, George Takei posted a birthday wish to Bill Shatner on his 94th birthday, wishing him continued health and happiness.
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