Year | Event | Relevant Quotes | Annotations |
2233 | James T. Kirk is born. | TOS The
Deadly Years KIRK |
Assuming a 2267 date for TOS The Deadly Years |
2242 | Gary Mitchell is born. | TOS Where No
Man Has Gone Before A computer screen states Mitchell's age as 23. |
Assuming a 2265 date for TOS WNMHGB |
~2250 | Kirk and Mitchell meet for the first time. |
TOS Where No Man Has Gone Before KIRK [...] MITCHELL |
There are two possibilities: 1.) Kirk was a Lt. at age 17 and Mitchell attended the Academy at age 8. At first glance that seems highly unlikely but don't forget that Star Trek was supposed to be "Hornblower in Space". In the sailing age, underage midshipmen were the rule, rather than the exception. Admiral Farragut for example was 9 years old when he joined the US Navy. There's also a line in the TWOK script stating that Midshipman 1c Peter Preston was 14 years old and a cut line from DS9 Resurrection states that a 17 years old Worf served as an ensign about the USS Hawk. But that theory is irreconcilable with TOS Shore Leave, so let's forget about it. 2.) Kirk and Mitchell knew each other before Mitchell attended the Academy. Problems: none |
~2250 | Kirk's first year at Starfleet Academy. One of his instructors is Benjamin Finney. |
TOS Shore Leave FINNEGAN KIRK TOS Court Martial STONE KIRK |
A plebe is usually a first-year student. |
~2254 | Ensign Kirk graduates from the Academy and is stationed on the USS Republic under the command of Captain Garrovick. |
STONE KIRK STONE KIRK COMPUTER KIRK [...] SHAW PERSONNEL OFFICER SHAW PERSONNEL OFFICER SHAW PERSONNEL OFFICER TOS Obsession McCOY KIRK |
The ST Chronology suggests that Kirk served as an ensign aboard the Republic while still attending the Academy, but the dialogue doesn't really support this theory. |
2254 | Garrovick takes command of USS Farragut and invites Kirk to join his crew. The Farragut is Kirk's first deep-space assignment and he is promoted to Lt. (JG). One of the Farragut's first missions is a survey of Tyree's planet. | TOS A Private
Little War KIRK [...] When I left there 13 years ago, the villagers had barely learned to forge iron. TOS Obsession SPOCK |
Assuming a 2267 date for TOS A Private Little War. |
2257 | Lt. Kirk's encounter with the Dikironium cloud. | TOS Obsession
McCOY |
Assuming a 2268 date for TOS Obsession |
~2257 | Mitchell's first year at Starfleet Academy. Lt. Kirk is an instructor at the Academy. | Earliest possible date. | |
2265 | Capt. Kirk takes command of USS Enterprise | This leaves awfully little time for promotions to Lt. Cmdr. and Commander. On the other hand, Geordi La Forge advanced from Ensign to Lt. Commander within 3 years. |