Rod Roddenberry: What Star Trek Has Taught Us After 60 Years

On Star Trek’s 60th anniversary, Rod Roddenberry reflects on Gene’s life, his vision for humanity, and the enduring optimism behind Star Trek. Published Sep 9, 2026, 11:03 AM EDT Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry is the guardian of the Roddenberry legacy. He champions the brand’s timeless and universal ideals to new generations through inspiring science fiction productions as well as philanthropic endeavors. As the son of legendary science fiction producer Gene Roddenberry, whose Star Trek series changed television as well as the world, Roddenberry has followed in his father’s footsteps facilitating a world where humanity works together for the greater good. Sixty years. Can you believe it? It was 60 years ago, on September 8, 1966, that a science fiction TV show unlike any before was broadcast for the first time on television. Yes, it had space ships, laser guns, and even strange-looking aliens. But that was never really the point, was it? The show wasn’t really about science fiction. It was about us! “Star Trek” showed us a future where humanity had finally come together as a species. Where we no longer feared the differences between us. We had finally learned that our uniqueness and our individuality were the most important things about us. And only once we understood that could we build the ships and the technology to reach worlds across the galaxy. But here’s the thing: we didn’t go out there because we wanted to see something that looked different. We went out there hoping to find someone who thought differently and saw the universe in a way we never had. “Star Trek” actually gave that idea a name: IDIC. Infinite Diversity from Infinite Combinations. And to be clear, IDIC never meant you had to drop your own views and blindly embrace somebody else’s. It just meant staying open to new perspectives and new points of view. That’s how we grow as individuals: through new experiences, whether that’s in a classroom, a neighborhood, a village, or even halfway across the galaxy. “Star Trek” was trying to tell us that the minute we stop exposing ourselves to new ideas, we stop growing. Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time at conventions, talking to fans, often hearing incredible stories of how much this simple TV show means to people. How it comforts them. Inspires them. In some cases, how it genuinely changed the direction of their lives. What that shows me is that “Star Trek” is not just science fiction. It’s not just entertainment. It’s a show that makes people believe in a better future. That makes them believe in themselves. More importantly, it makes them believe in each other. That way of thinking didn’t come out of nowhere. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of “Star Trek,” and my father, was born on August 19, 1921. At a young age he took to devouring books at the local library. He loved how stories could take you away on journeys of exploration and discovery. That curiosity would follow him his whole life. As he grew, his love of adventure and storytelling grew with him, forming the foundation of who he would become. He lived a lot of lives before “Star Trek” was ever an idea. He flew over eighty combat missions in World War II. He saw death up close, and on some of those missions, he was the one who had to deliver it. Afterward, he became a commercial pilot, flying some of the longest transcontinental routes of the day. On one such flight in 1947, while deadheading, the plane lost three of its four engines and went down in the Syrian desert. He was the only surviving officer and he helped pull as many passengers out of the burning wreckage as he could. After that, he hung up his wings and joined the LAPD, helping to guide others through an era of significant civil unrest, when things like equality, ethics, and governance were put to the ultimate test. Through these experiences, he saw some of the worst of humanity – conflict, greed, prejudice, fear. But he also saw the best of us – our curiosity, our courage, our compassion for one another. Throughout all of this, he was doing what storytellers do. Watching. Listening. Questioning. All of it fueled by curiosity. He was trying to understand people. Not just who we are, but who we could be. And this became the heart of “Star Trek.” He knew we were flawed. But he also knew we were capable of learning. Capable of growing. Capable of rising above the fear and division that keeps trying to hold us back. That’s the job “Star Trek” has. Not to save the future all by itself. But to keep pushing us toward optimism. Toward altruism. Toward wanting to be better, and living in a way that inspires other people to do the same. This is what I’ve gleaned from my father’s creation. It’s what I do my best to hold true to as I am now raising my own son. It’s what I carry with me as I witness a world full of change and complexity and uncertainty. It’s what I hope for all of us. Here’s to the next sixty years! Over the coming weeks, we’re partnering with Screen Rant to bring you exclusive interviews and insight into the impact “Star Trek” has had across many facets of the entertainment industry and beyond. We’ll be discussing its impact on technology, LGBTQ+ representation, diversity, feminism, fandom/conventions, and more. Release Date 1966 - 1969-00-00 Network NBC Showrunner Gene Roddenberry Directors Marc Daniels, Joseph Pevney, Ralph Senensky, Vincent McEveety, Herb Wallerstein, Jud Taylor, Marvin J. Chomsky, David Alexander, Gerd Oswald, Herschel Daugherty, James Goldstone, Robert Butler, Anton Leader, Gene Nelson, Harvey Hart, Herbert Kenwith, James Komack, John Erman, John Newland, Joseph Sargent, Lawrence Dobkin, Leo Penn, Michael O'Herlihy, Murray Golden Writers D.C. Fontana, Jerome Bixby, Arthur Heinemann, David Gerrold, Jerry Sohl, Oliver Crawford, Robert Bloch, David P. Harmon, Don Ingalls, Paul Schneider, Shimon Wincelberg, Steven W. Carabatsos, Theodore Sturgeon, Jean Lisette Aroeste, Art Wallace, Adrian Spies, Barry Trivers, Don Mankiewicz, Edward J. Lakso, Fredric Brown, George Clayton Johnson, George F. Slavin, Gilbert Ralston, Harlan Ellison Franchise(s) Star Trek Creator(s) Gene Roddenberry