James T. Kirk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids James Tiberius Kirk |
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| Star Trek character | |
William Shatner as Kirk in a publicity photograph for the original Star Trek
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| Portrayed by | William Shatner (1966–1994) Chris Pine (2009–present) Jimmy Bennett (2009; child) |
| Information | |
| Species | Human |
| Affiliation | United Federation of Planets Starfleet |
| Posting | Chief of Starfleet Operations USS Enterprise: Commanding officer Executive officer USS Enterprise-A: Commanding officer |
| Rank | Commander Captain Admiral |
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a famous fictional character from the Star Trek universe. He is best known as the brave captain of the starship USS Enterprise. Captain Kirk leads his crew on exciting missions. They travel through space to explore "new worlds" and go "where no man has gone before".
Kirk first appeared in the TV show Star Trek: The Original Series. This show started on September 8, 1966. The actor William Shatner played Captain Kirk. He continued playing the role for three seasons. Shatner also voiced Kirk in Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–74).
William Shatner returned as Kirk in many Star Trek movies. These included Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) and six more films. Later, actor Chris Pine played a younger version of Kirk. This was in the 2009 Star Trek film. Jimmy Bennett played Kirk as a child in that movie. Chris Pine played Kirk again in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016).
Who is James T. Kirk?
James Tiberius Kirk was born on Earth in a town called Riverside, Iowa. His parents were George and Winona Kirk. Even though he was born on Earth, Kirk lived on a planet called Tarsus IV for a while. Kirk had a brother named George Samuel Kirk. Sadly, his brother died in an episode called "Operation: Annihilate!".
Kirk joined Starfleet Academy, which is like a special school for space explorers. He was the only student to ever beat the Kobayashi Maru test. This test is designed to be impossible to win. After this, Kirk quickly moved up in rank. He became a student instructor at the Academy. When he graduated, he was among the top students.
Kirk became the youngest starship captain in Starfleet. He was given command of the famous USS Enterprise. This was for a five-year mission to explore space. Kirk's closest friends on the Enterprise were his first officer, Spock, and the chief doctor, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. Kirk is known as a very strong leader. He always pushed himself and his crew to do their best. He was brave, clever, and confident.
Kirk's Impact on Culture
In 1985, the town of Riverside, Iowa wanted to honor Captain Kirk. They asked the creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry, for permission. They wanted to "adopt" Kirk as their town's "Future Son."
The town put up a special plaque. They also built a copy of the Enterprise spaceship. They named it the "USS Riverside." Every year, the town holds a "Trek Fest." This festival celebrates Captain Kirk's birthday.
In 2002, Captain Kirk's chair from the original Star Trek show was sold. It was auctioned for a lot of money: $304,000! In 2010, a survey asked people about their favorite space heroes. Captain Kirk was tied with cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin as the sixth most popular space hero.
Images for kids
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Publicity photo of William Shatner as Kirk, alongside Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock
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Shatner portrayed Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series and the first seven films.
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Chris Pine has portrayed an alternate reality version of Kirk in three Star Trek films since 2009.
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Paul Wesley has portrayed Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds since 2022.
See also
In Spanish: James Tiberius Kirk para niños
