21 Date calculations (Consequences of the theory)
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This article is from the Stardates in Star Trek FAQ, by Andrew Main zefram@dcs.warwick.ac.uk with numerous contributions by others.
21 Date calculations (Consequences of the theory)
Here's when the classic movies are set:
Star Trek: The Motion Picture 7411.4 2272-01-10 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn 8130.3 2285-05-07 Star Trek III: The Search For Spock 8210.3 2285-10-14 The Voyage Home: Star Trek IV 8390 2286-10-09 Star Trek V: The Final Frontier 8454.1 2287-02-14 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country 9521.6 2292-12-19
Helpfully, STV:TFF occurs in 2287, as the Chronology conjectures. These dates
make Vulcan months about four times as long as Terran ones. Kirk's birthday
(STII:TWOK) is the 7th of May. (The 22nd of March, conjectured in the
Chronology, is taken from William Shatner's birthday.) "The Deadly Years" (SD
3478.2) was 2267-12-15, and Kirk was 34 then, which means that his birthdate
must be 2233-05-07. The year is consistent with the Chronology.
In ST:TNG, date calculations are much easier, because of the 1000 units per
year rate and the quad-cent calendar. The year can be obtained from the first
two digits, and the day from the rest -- there is no need to consider leap
years. Here are a few significant dates:
Enterprise-D commissioned 40759.5 2363*10*05 Encounter at Farpoint 41153.7 2364*02*26 Datalore 41242.4 2364*03*30 Skin of Evil 41601.3 2364*08*08 Future Imperfect 44286.5 2367*04*15 Emissary (ST:DS9) 46379.1 2369*05*19 Descent, Part II 47025.4 2370*01*10 Parallels 47391.2 2370*05*23 Caretaker (ST:VOY) 48315.6 2371*04*26 Star Trek: Generations 48632.4 2371*08*19 Enterprise-D destroyed 48650.1 2371*08*26 The Way of the Warrior (ST:DS9) 49011.4 2372*01*05 Enterprise-E launched 49027.5 2372*01*11 Star Trek: First Contact 50893.5 2373*11*23
The commissioning date of the Enterprise bears a suspicious resemblance to the
launch date of Sputnik I (1957-10-04). This is designed; in fact the
Enterprise date was supposed to be 2363*10*04, but a mistake was made. There
is a trap when calculating these dates that would make any stardate appear to
represent a date one day earlier than it should. It would appear that
Sternbach and Okuda fell right in it.
The "Future Imperfect" date is Riker's birthday; his 32nd according to the
Chronology (the Chronology lists a birth year of 2335, but no date).
"Parallels" is Worf's birthday. Using the "Datalore" and "Descent, Part II"
stardates, Lore's lifespan can be calculated at 5 years, 286 days.
The Organian peace treaty between the UFP and the Klingon Empire lasted from
SD [19]3198.4 ("Errand of Mercy", ST:TOS) to [21]49011.4 ("The Way of the
Warrior", ST:DS9). This is a little over 104 years, from October 2267 to
January 2372.
There is a slight problem with some of the ST:TNG first season stardates.
"The Battle" (SD 41723.9), "The Big Goodbye" (SD 41997.7), "Angel One" (SD
41636.9) and "The Arsenal of Freedom" (SD 41798.2) all have stardates after
"Skin of Evil" (SD 41601.3), but show Tasha Yar alive. It seems that the
production crew learnt from this, because they have kept stardates in order
ever since. To make these stardates make sense, we must assume them to be
slips of the captain's tongue. (More obvious verbal errors were made in "The
Deadly Years", "Datalore" and "Birthright, Part II".)
Data stated in ST:FC that he had not used his "multiple techniques" for "8
years, 7 months, 16 days, 4 minutes, 22 [seconds]". That would be a date of
approximately 2365*04*07, or a stardate of approximately 42263.4. This is
early second season, between episodes, well after Yar's death and well before
"In Theory" -- an as-yet unrevealed lover.
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