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.
William Shatner, the 'Star Trek' icon, stipulated a condition for appearing in 'The Big Bang Theory.' His 'Sexy Sci-Fi' series aimed to surpass 'The Matrix.' Shatner's influence expands beyond 'Star Trek'.
In 1905, William Shatner's mother, Ann (née Garmaise), was born.
In 1928, William Shatner's older sister, Joy Rutenberg, was born.
In 1940, William Shatner's younger sister, Farla Cohen, was born.
In 1951, while attending college, William Shatner had a small role as "a crook" in the Canadian comedy drama The Butler's Night Off, credited as Bill Shatner.
In 1952, William Shatner graduated from the McGill University Faculty of Management in Montreal with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.
In 1954, William Shatner made his first appearance on American television in The Howdy Doody Show as Ranger Bob.
On August 12, 1956, William Shatner married Gloria Rand, a Canadian actress.
In 1956, William Shatner made his Broadway debut in Marlowe's Tamburlaine as part of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
In 1957, William Shatner had a leading role in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "The Glass Eye".
In December 1958, William Shatner appeared in The Christmas Tree, a Hallmark Hall of Fame live television production, as a Roman tax collector.
In 1958, William Shatner and Gloria Rand's first daughter, Leslie, was born.
In 1959, William Shatner received good reviews for his role as Lomax in The World of Suzie Wong on Broadway and played detective Archie Goodwin in a Nero Wolfe series pilot.
In 1960, William Shatner appeared in The Twilight Zone episode "Nick of Time" and in two episodes of the Western series Outlaws.
In 1961, William Shatner and Gloria Rand's daughter, Lisabeth, was born.
In 1961, William Shatner appeared on Broadway in A Shot in the Dark, also starred in Thriller TV series and the film The Explosive Generation.
In 1962, William Shatner took the lead role in Roger Corman's movie The Intruder.
In 1963, William Shatner appeared in The Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet".
In 1963, William Shatner appeared in an episode of Channing and in Route 66.
In 1964, William Shatner and Gloria Rand's daughter, Melanie, was born.
In 1964, William Shatner first appeared on screen with Leonard Nimoy in an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. titled "The Project Strigas Affair."
In 1964, William Shatner guest-starred in The Outer Limits, The Reporter and played a supporting role in The Outrage. He was also cast in a pilot for a series called Alexander the Great alongside Leonard Nimoy.
In 1965, William Shatner guest-starred in 12 O'Clock High and had the lead role in a legal drama, For the People.
In 1966, William Shatner debuted as Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise in the second pilot of the first Star Trek television series, beginning his iconic role in the franchise.
In 1966, William Shatner starred in Incubus (Esperanto: Inkubo) the second feature-length movie ever made with all dialogue spoken in Esperanto, starred in an episode of Gunsmoke and in an episode of The Big Valley.
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.
In 1967, William Shatner's father, Joseph Shatner, a clothing manufacturer, passed away.
On November 22, 1968, in the Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren", a kiss that Captain Kirk (William Shatner) planted on the lips of Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) is cited as the first example of a white man kissing a black woman on scripted television in the United States.
In 1968, William Shatner made his recording debut with the release of the album The Transformed Man, featuring readings from classic plays and covers of popular songs.
In 1968, William Shatner starred in the Spaghetti Western White Comanche, playing both Johnny Moon and Notah.
In 1968, William Shatner started his career as a recording artist with his album, The Transformed Man, featuring dramatic recitations of song lyrics.
In 1968, the unaired pilot for Alexander the Great, in which William Shatner played the titular role, was repackaged and aired as a TV movie.
In March 1969, William Shatner divorced his first wife, Gloria Rand, after leaving her during his time acting in Star Trek: The Original Series.
In 1969, Star Trek was cancelled after three seasons and seventy-nine episodes.
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.
In 1969, following the cancellation of Star Trek, William Shatner experienced difficulty in finding employment and faced financial struggles, including living in a truck-bed camper.
In 1971, William Shatner gave a performance during a tour which was later released in 1977 as the live album, William Shatner Live.
In 1973, William Shatner married Marcy Lafferty, the daughter of television producer Perry Lafferty.
In 1973, William Shatner returned to the role of Captain Kirk, in voice only, in the animated Star Trek series.
In 1977, William Shatner Live, a performance from a 1971 tour, was released as a Lemli Records double album, including reminiscences about Star Trek and excerpts from various works.
In 1978, while hosting the fifth presentation of Saturn Awards, William Shatner performed a version of Elton John's "Rocket Man" that became a comedic parody staple.
In 1982, Heather Locklear began co-starring with William Shatner on T. J. Hooker. She also had a semi-regular role in Dynasty. Locklear spoke about working with Shatner and her experienced colleagues on Dynasty could be daunting.
In 1982, William Shatner began playing the eponymous veteran police sergeant in T. J. Hooker.
In 1986, William Shatner finished his role as the eponymous veteran police sergeant in T. J. Hooker.
In 1987, William Shatner was the king of the Mardi Gras Bacchus parade, a ceremonial role in the festivities.
In 1989, William Shatner began hosting the reality-based television series Rescue 911.
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.
In 1992, William Shatner offered self-mockery performances of the five nominees in the Best Song from a Movie category at the MTV Movie Awards.
In 1992, William Shatner's mother, Ann Shatner (née Garmaise), passed away.
In 1993, James Doohan declined to be interviewed by William Shatner for his first memoir, Star Trek Memories, highlighting the strained relationship between the two actors.
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".
In 1994, William Shatner made his final appearance as Captain Kirk in the seventh Star Trek feature film, Star Trek Generations.
In 1994, while filming Star Trek Generations, William Shatner had to work with George Takei, Walter Koenig and James Doohan, with whom he had a difficult relationship.
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.
In 1996, William Shatner ended his role as host of the reality-based television series Rescue 911.
In 1996, William Shatner's marriage to Marcy Lafferty ended in divorce.
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.
In 1997, William Shatner married Nerine Kidd.
In 1998, William Shatner was featured on two tracks, "In Love" and "Still in Love", on Ben Folds's album "Fear of Pop: Volume 1".
On August 9, 1999, William Shatner found his third wife, Nerine Kidd, lifeless at the bottom of their swimming pool. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning due to alcohol and diazepam.
In 1999, William Shatner wrote a book about Trekkies after his Saturday Night Live rebuke to them. That book would become the basis for the 2012 documentary film Get a Life!.
In 1999, after the death of Nerine Shatner, Heather Locklear provided comfort and support to William Shatner during his bereavement, showcasing their close friendship.
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.
In 2000, William Shatner acted in the comedy film Miss Congeniality.
In 2000, William Shatner contributed the voice of Buzz Lightyear to the Star Command anthem "To Infinity And Beyond" in the film "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins".
In 2001, William Shatner married Elizabeth Anderson Martin.
On June 28, 2002, William Shatner appeared with Brian Evans at the San Carlos Institute Theatre in Key West, Florida, and duetted in the songs "What Kind of Fool Am I" and "The Lady Is a Tramp". The concert was later released as an album.
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.
In October 2004, William Shatner's second studio album, Has Been, produced by Ben Folds, was released, featuring collaborations and a cover of Pulp's "Common People".
In 2004, Elizabeth Anderson Martin co-wrote the song "Together" on William Shatner's album "Has Been".
In 2004, George Takei wrote about his issues with William Shatner in his memoir, To the Stars, highlighting the ongoing tensions between them.
In 2004, William Shatner began starring as attorney Denny Crane in the final season of the legal show The Practice and the entire run of its spinoff, Boston Legal.
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.
On June 9, 2005, William Shatner contributed his version of "My Way" to the presentation of George Lucas's AFI Life Achievement Award, backed by a chorus line of dancers in Imperial Stormtrooper costumes.
On December 11, 2005, William Shatner launched Comedy Central's Last Laugh 2005 with a skit where he played Lucifer.
In 2005, William Shatner and Heather Locklear worked together again on Boston Legal, where Locklear played Kelly Nolan, a woman on trial for killing her wealthy husband, and Shatner's character became attracted to her.
In 2005, William Shatner was heard in the track "'64 - Go" on the Lemon Jelly album "'64 - '95".
On March 29, 2006, TV Land aired a Shatner-centred episode of their "Living in TV Land" series subtitled "William Shatner in Concert," featuring footage of him working with Ben Folds and performing with Folds's band and Joe Jackson.
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.
In 2006, William Shatner voiced Ozzie in DreamWorks' Over the Hedge and played the villain Kazar in Walt Disney's The Wild.
In January 2007, William Shatner began posting daily autobiographical vlogs on the LiveVideo platform in a project that he named ShatnerVision.
In July 2007, J.J. Abrams stated that they were "desperately trying to figure out a way to put him in" the 2009 film Star Trek, but that to "shove him in ... would be a disaster".
In 2007, Margo Sappington created "Common People", a dance project for the Milwaukee Ballet based on William Shatner's album "Has Been".
In December 2008, William Shatner experimented with the chat show genre in the humorous Shatner's Raw Nerve, which aired until March 2011.
In 2008, William Shatner ended his role as attorney Denny Crane in Boston Legal.
In 2008, William Shatner's memoir, Up Till Now, co-written with David Fisher, was published.
In his 2008 book "Up Till Now: The Autobiography", William Shatner disclosed Leonard Nimoy's attempts to help Nerine Kidd with her alcoholism.
On April 17, 2009, the feature documentary "William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet" was unveiled at the Nashville Film Festival, receiving favorable reviews.
On July 27, 2009, William Shatner opened mock-hostilities with a poetry slam inspired recitation of the speech in which Sarah Palin had resigned the governorship of Alaska on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.
On December 11, 2009, William Shatner returned to Palin once more to read excerpts from her autobiography, Going Rogue: An American Life, and she, taking his teasing in good part, responded by reciting extracts from his own memoir, Up Till Now on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.
In 2009, William Shatner supplied the voice of Don Salmonella to the animated series The Gavones on YouTube.
In 2009, William Shatner was not offered a role in the Star Trek film.
On February 1, 2010, William Shatner guest-hosted World Wrestling Entertainment's flagship show WWE Raw and performed several wrestlers' entrance theme songs to promote his Biography Channel talk show "Shatner's Raw Nerve".
On February 28, 2010, William Shatner was one of the speakers at the closing ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In April 2010, William Shatner began hosting the Discovery Channel show Weird or What?, which aired until August 2012.
At a convention held in 2010, William Shatner described the 2009 Star Trek film as "wonderful".
In March 2011, Shatner's humorous chat show Shatner's Raw Nerve ended its run.
In May 2011, the CBS sitcom $#*! My Dad Says, starring William Shatner, was cancelled three months after the first broadcast of its final episode.
In October 2011, William Shatner released his album Seeking Major Tom, featuring collaborations with notable musicians and covers of space-themed songs.
In 2011, McGill University awarded William Shatner an honorary Doctorate of Letters.
In 2011, Walter Koenig accepted William Shatner's invitation to appear on his interview series Shatner's Raw Nerve, indicating that the animosity he once felt had dissipated.
In 2011, William Shatner released his most successful album, Seeking Major Tom, which included covers of songs like "Learning to Fly" by Pink Floyd and "Space Oddity" by David Bowie.
In August 2012, the Discovery Channel show Weird or What?, hosted by William Shatner, concluded its run.
In 2012, William Shatner returned to his roots in theatre, appearing on Broadway in a one-man show called Shatner's World: We Just Live in It, which then toured throughout the United States after a three-week run.
In October 2013, William Shatner's fifteen-track album "Ponder the Mystery", produced by Billy Sherwood, was released featuring collaborations with several musicians.
On April 24, 2014, William Shatner performed an autobiographical one-man show on Broadway, which was filmed for subsequent screening in more than 700 theatres across Australia, Canada and the United States with a large portion of the revenue of the project going to charity.
In 2014, William Shatner served as the Grand Marshal at the 102nd Calgary Stampede parade in his native Canada.
In 2015, William Shatner played Mark Twain in an episode of the Canadian historical crime drama series Murdoch Mysteries, and Croatoan in the last episodes of SyFy channel's fantasy series Haven.
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.
In March 2016, William Shatner provided the lead vocals on Ben Craven's track "Spy In The Sky Part 3" in Craven's album "Last Chance To Hear".
On August 23, 2016, the NBC reality miniseries Better Late Than Never, starring William Shatner, premiered, following celebrities on a tour around Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia.
In September 2016, William Shatner attended the Salt Lake Comic Con as their special guest, highlighting his connection to the science fiction community.
In 2016, William Shatner began starring in Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series on NBC.
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.
On December 11, 2017, William Shatner appeared in a preview episode of the second season of Better Late Than Never.
In 2017, Stan Lee's "God Woke", a graphic novel published by William Shatner's comic-book publisher, Shatner Singularity, won the Independent Publisher Book Awards' Outstanding Books of the Year Independent Voice Award.
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.
In 2017, William Shatner starred in the second season of Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series on NBC.
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.
In May 2018, William Shatner was granted an honorary Doctorate of Letters by the New England Institute of Technology.
In August 2018, William Shatner released "Why Not Me", his first venture into country music, in partnership with Jeff Cook.
In October 2018, William Shatner released "Shatner Claus", a holiday collection, featuring collaborations with several artists.
In 2018, William Shatner starred in both seasons of Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series on NBC.
In 2018, William Shatner was awarded the National Reining Horse Association Lifetime Achievement Award in the National Reining Horse Association Hall of Fame, recognizing his contributions to the sport.
In 2018, William Shatner, as honorary captain of "Star Trek: The Cruise", opposed the inclusion of a dolphin-swimming program, citing the Prime Directive.
In 2018, the official season premiere of the second season of Better Late Than Never, starring William Shatner, was aired.
From 2019, William Shatner hosted and executive-produced The UnXplained on History.
In 2019, William Shatner filed for divorce from Elizabeth Anderson Martin.
In January 2020, William Shatner's divorce from Elizabeth Anderson Martin was finalized.
On October 2, 2020, William Shatner's ninth album, "The Blues", was released.
In 2020, William Shatner engaged in a month-long argument on Twitter with other users regarding being called a "straight white cis man."
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.
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.
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.
On August 26, 2021, William Shatner announced his tenth album, "Bill".
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.
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.
In 2021, William Shatner faced political controversy when his show, I Don't Understand with William Shatner, was scheduled to air on RT, formerly known as Russia Today.
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.
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.
February 28, 2022 is mentioned as a date.
On December 4, 2022, William Shatner was a star guest at the L.A. Comic Con, continuing his engagement with science fiction fans.
In 2022, William Shatner competed in season eight of The Masked Singer as "Knight", and was eliminated in the first episode.
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.
In 2023, George Takei reiterated his long-standing animosity towards William Shatner, describing him as an "egocentric, self-involved prima donna" and dispelling the notion of a close friendship between Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.
In 2023, William Shatner concluded his role as host and executive producer of The UnXplained on History.
In 2023, William Shatner's older sister, Joy Rutenberg, passed away.
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.
As of 2025, William Shatner and Elizabeth Martin, although divorced, have reconciled, with Shatner again referring to her as his wife.
In 2025, George Takei wished William Shatner a happy 94th birthday, signaling a potential warming of their relationship.
In 2025, William Shatner will receive a Special Lifetime Achievement Saturn Award.
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