On her 87th birthday, we at TrekNews.net would like to wish Star Trek: The Original Series star Nichelle Nichols a very happy birthday.
Born in Robbins, Illinois on December 28, 1932, singer, dancer, actress, and writer, Nichelle Nichols starred in all three seasons of TOS along with six feature films.
Her Star Trek character, Nyota Uhura, broke down many 1960s racial stereotypes and will forever have a special place in television and entertainment history.
Today, Nichelle continues to be an inspiration to generations of fans with her positive outlook on life and hope for a better tomorrow.
In 2012, while visiting Washington D.C. in celebration of Black History Month, she had the opportunity to meet United States President Barack Obama in the Oval Office. Nichelle later tweeted the photo of them both flashing a Vulcan salute along with the caption “A photo came to me in the mail that I’ve kept for myself for over a week, but now it’s time to share it with Trekkers everywhere.”
In 2015, Nichols sat down with TrekNews.net for an exclusive interview to discuss her life, career and the NASA SOFIA mission she was part of.
In 2016, she appeared as Lucinda, the mother of Neil Winters, on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. Later in 2017, Nichelle appeared on stage with NASA astronaut Mae Jemison at the Las Vegas Star Trek Convention. She also appeared at the British Film Institute event to discuss the 50th anniversary of Star Trek.
In 2018, it was reported that the actress is suffering from dementia.
Nichols plans to retire from convention appearances, following her “Farewell Celebration” in Los Angeles next May.
Here’s wishing Ms. Nichols a very happy birthday.
You can follow Nichelle on Twitter at @NichelleIsUhura and on her Star Power page for updates.