Happy First Contact Day Star Trek fans! April 5th marks the future holiday where Earth and humankind became part of the galactic community in the Star Trek universe. April 5, 2063 is the day that pioneer Zephram Cochrane powered up the warp drive in his ship, the Phoenix, and took it into space. The voyage attracted the attention of a Vulcan ship that was passing by. The Vulcan crew touched down on Earth and made the first contact with humanity. The film Star Trek: First Contact reveals that these events were a bit more complicated. The film shows that some time-traveling Borg got involved, as well as the crew from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Why did the writers of First Contact choose April 5th as First Contact Day? Writer Ronald D. Moore made that decision. He told StarTrek.com, “The short answer on First Contact Day is that it's my oldest son, Jonathan's birthday. And that's the only reason the date was chosen.”

The events of First Contact Day paved the way for the creation of Starfleet. Its earliest voyages form the basis of Star Trek: Enterprise. The Vulcans helped humans reach the stars after Cochrane's first voyage and later disappearance. Later on, they were hesitant to allow humans to explore on their own. It was Captain Jonathan Archer and his crew that first voyaged to new worlds and visited new civilizations. It started with the Klingons in the episode "Broken Bow." Archer butted heads with the Vulcans for a time, but his voyages and leadership led to the formation of the United Federation of Planets.

How do you celebrate First Contact Day? Well, if you're looking for an in-canon explanation, you should watch the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Homestead." If you're looking for how to celebrate as a fan, the obvious answer is to watch Star Trek: First Contact, which is streaming on Amazon Prime. If you want to learn what happened to Zephram Cochrane, check out the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Metamorphosis." You can also check out the Enterprise episode "Regeneration," which is a kind of sequel to First Contact.

You can also celebrate on social media, and plenty of Star Trek fans are. We've gathered up some of their posts here. Keep reading to see how Star Trek fans are celebrating First Contact Day.

How are you celebrating First Contact Day? Let us know in the comments section, and live long and prosper.