Nichelle Nichols

In early 1951, at age 18, she married a dancer who was 15 years her senior. Within four months they split, and in August 1951, she bore his son. She remarried in 1968, this time to a songwriter, but that marriage also ended in divorce a few years later.

Her role as Uhura on "Star Trek" (1966) was one of the first times that an African-American actress was portrayed in a non-stereotypical role. Previously, African-American actresses were depicted as maids or housekeepers, and Nichols' role broke the stereotype barrier among African-American actresses. Like Sidney Poitier, whose characters were three-dimensional (e.g., Detective Virgil Tibbs), Nichols portrayed a character that was non-stereotypical.

Has appeared in episodes of three different series with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and George Takei: "Star Trek" (1966), "Star Trek" (1973) and "Futurama" (1999).

Although ignored in the "famous actors/actresses" in African-American cinema, including "famous celebrities" during Black History Month, Nichols was one of the first black actresses to portray a character on a television series and science-fiction series who was treated the same as characters of other races, and to all of "Star Trek" (1966) fans, the television series and films that followed set the standard for multiculturalism (where people of different races, ethnicities and genders are integrated and a sense of equality coexists).

With "Star Trek" (1966) co-star William Shatner, she shared the first on-screen kiss between a black female and white male on American television. This resulted in a deluge of mail - 99% of which was positive.

Became the first African-American to place her handprints in front of Hollywood's Chinese Theatre, along with the rest of the "Star Trek" (1966) cast. In 1992, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Fed up with the racist harassment, culminating with her learning that the studio was withholding her fan mail, she submitted her resignation from "Star Trek" (1966). She withdrew it when Martin Luther King personally convinced her that her role was too important as a breakthrough to leave.

Discovered by Duke Ellington in her mid-teens, she toured with both Ellington and Lionel Hampton as a lead singer and dancer. Decades later, in 1992, she went back to her singing "roots", starring in a dramatic one-woman musical show called "Reflections", in which she became 12 separate song legends. She was also able to use her singing skills a few times in the "Star Trek" (1966) series'.

Ranked #17 on Wizard magazine's Sexiest Women of TV for her role on "Star Trek" (1966) (March 2008).

Confessed in her autobiography she once had a close, personal relationship with "Star Trek" (1966) creator Gene Roddenberry.

Former NASA astronaut Dr. Mae C. Jemison was inspired by Nichelle Nichols when she decided to become the first African American female astronaut. Jemison was a fan of the original "Star Trek" (1966) series.

From the late 1970s until 1987, Nichelle Nichols was employed by NASA and was in charge of astronaut recruits and hopefuls. Most of the recruits that she launched were minority candidates of different races and/or ethnicities, as well as gender, like Guion Bluford (the first African American male astronaut), Sally Ride (the first American female astronaut), Judith A. Resnik (one of the original female astronauts recruited by NASA, who perished during the launch of the Challenger on January 28, 1986), and Ron McNair (another victim of the Challenger disaster). She lived in Houston, Texas during her years as a Johnson Space Center employee.

Made both her first (Star Trek, Season 1, Episode 10: entitled "The Corbomite Manoeuvre") and last (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)) "Star Trek" appearances with DeForest Kelley.

Her younger brother Thomas commited suicide with the cult members in Rancho Santa Fe, near San Diego. [March 1997]