Star Trek's 60‑Year Legacy Celebrated With Five Major Milestones in Late 2026 The 60th anniversary of Star Trek and its milestone celebrations for Prodigy, Deep Space Nine, First Contact, The Voyage Home and The Undiscovered Country are highlighted in this extensive recap. Star Trek celebrated its 60th year in early September with enthusiasts worldwide marking the milestone and preparing for a string of important anniversaries that will extend throughout the remainder of 2026. The original series hit the milestone on 8 September, while other long‑running shows and films are set to hit their own milestones months later. Though new television projects or movies are currently on hiatus, the franchise's legacy continues to grow, and fans are eager to commemorate the coming anniversaries that span across the rich tapestry of the universe created by Gene Roddenberry. The most celebrated of these is Star Trek: Prodigy, which turns five on 28 October.Star Trek Prodigy Series HistoryThe young‑adventure series that debuted in 2021 was created by Kevin and Dan Hageman and delivered through a partnership with Nickelodeon. With two seasons and 40 episodes, Prodigy managed to capture the classic values of the franchise while targeting a younger audience. The show also brought Kate Mulgrew back as Admiral Kathryn Janeway and included appearances from other characters from Star Trek: Voyager. After a brief run on Netflix, the series was canceled by Paramount +.Today it is only available to fans who purchase the physical collection or are willing to buy individual episodes on Prime Video. The long‑running series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine celebrated a 30‑year milestone for its episode "Trials and Tribble‑ations" on 4 November. The episode, which features Captain Benjamin Sisko and crew members from Deep Space Nine inserted into an episode of the original series, was a brilliant homage to the 1960s aesthetics.Its writers, including Ronald D. Moore and René Echevarria, recreated period costumes, sets and lighting with expert precision, and the final scene brings Sisko face‑to‑face with Captain James T. Kirk in a playful celebration of the franchise's cross‑generational appeal. The episode remains available for streaming on Paramount +. Another key milestone occurs that November with the 30‑year anniversary of Star Trek: First Contact.Star Trek First Contact MilestoneReleased on 22 November 1996, the film introduced the Borg for the third time and is widely regarded as a high point of the Next Generation film lineup. Directed by Jonathan Frakes, the story follows the crew as they travel back in time to prevent the Borg from altering the course of history. The film's memorable dialogue, especially from Captain Jean‑Luc Picard, has become part of film lore.First Contact is still available for streaming on Paramount +. On 26 November the franchise celebrated a 40‑year anniversary, this time for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Directed by Leonard Nimoy, the movie tells the story of the Enterprise crew traveling back to 1986 San Francisco to rescue humpback whales. The film's humor, heart and environmental message helped it become the highest‑grossing Star Trek film of its day and it remains a classic.Star Trek Sixth Film AnniversaryTravelers from the 24th century returning to a recognizable Earth landscape create a fish‑out‑of‑water narrative that still resonates with fans. The final major milestone of the year falls on 6 December with the 35‑year anniversary of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Premiering in 1991, the final film feature starring the original cast, directed by Nicholas Meyer, uses the backdrop of a wall coming down as an allegory for the end of the Cold War.The film's memorable lines, including a Shakespeare‑quoting Klingon General and a poignant closing credits scene, have earned it a lasting place in the franchise's history. The film is available on Paramount +. These appointments illustrate the longevity of Star Trek and prove that, even in the absence of new productions, the franchise remains a living culture with plenty of celebrated materials for fans to relive and new audiences to discover.Each of these anniversaries signals a reminder of the universe's breadth, from "Proddy" where younger viewers are introduced to the moral fibre that defines the series, to the venerable classics like The Voyage Home that have shaped the series narrative. Fans will no doubt spend months of 2026 humming these themes while looking forward to any future venture from the franchise.