Star Trek episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" airs 1967

The twenty-eighth episode of the first season of Star Trek (the original series) The City on the Edge of Forever, first aired April 6. 1967.  Anomalous waves emanating from a strange planet wreaks havoc on the Enterprise, and causes Dr. McCoy to inject himself with a dangerous drug, resulting in psychotic episodes.  In his crazed state, he beams down to the planet below.

Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Lieutenant Uhura and a security beam down after him.  They find the the Guardian of Forever, a time portal showing Earth's past events in fast time.  Bones jumps through the portal and changes the past.  Kirk, Spock, and Uhura realize they are trapped, since the Enterprise no longer exists.

Kirk and Spock jump through the portal to locate McCoy before he can do the damage he caused to the current time line.

It's considered by fans to be the best episode of the entire series.  The final line is uttered by Kirk when he says "Let's get the hell out of here."

Also, Joan Collins stars as Edith Keeler.

Mariner 5, Venus probe, launched 1967

Mariner 5, launched June 14, 1967, carried a cadre of instruments to Venus, to study its atmosphere and magnetic field fluctuations above the planet. It had been built as a backup to Mariner 4, a Mars probe, but the Mariner 4 project was a success, NASA modified Mariner 5 to study Venus during the 1967 Venus launch window.

Mariner 5 flew by Venus on October 19, 1967 at an altitude of 2480 miles, and determined that the surface was hotter and the atmosphere denser than previous studies had indicated. 

Between April and November 1968, NASA tried to contact Mariner 5 to reacquire a signal for probing interplanetary conditions.  A signal was received in October, but the they had no success in gaining an uplink signal, so there was no possibility of fixing or continuing its use.  Operations were terminated November 5, 1968.  Mariner 5 remains in a heliocentric orbit.

Happy birthday, astronaut Shane Kimbrough!

Robert "Shane" Kimbrough, born June 4, 1967 in Killeen, Texas, has been in space three times.

He graduated from the US Military Academy and flew Apache helicopters in the Operation Desert Storm. He joined NASA in 2000 and was part of the first group of astronauts selected following the Columbia disaster.

His first mission into space was aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-126) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in November 2008.  He conducted two EVAs, lasting a total of almost 13 hours.  He spent almost 16 days in space.

Kimbrough's second trip into space was aboard Soyuz MS-02 as flight engineer to the ISS in October 2016.  He participated in Expeditions 49-50.  He carried a soccer ball belonging to Ellison Onizuka, who died in the Challenger disaster to the ISS. He returned to Earth in April 2017, after over 173 days in space.

His third mission into space was aboard SpaceX Crew-2 as commander to the ISS in April 2021 to the ISS. He participated in Expeditions 65-66. He returned to Earth in November 2021, after more than 199 days in space, the longest US mission to date. 

Star Trek episode "Arena" airs 1967

One of the classic episodes from the original series Star Trek, Arena, first aired January 19, 1967.  Outpost Cestus III has been destroyed and the crew of the Enterprise retaliates against the killers, a reptilian race known as the Gorn.  As the ships battle, another alien race, the Metrons, stop them and place Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and the Gorn captain on a planet to solve their dispute one-on-one.

It is the first episode to feature photon torpedoes and the first to establish transporters cannot beam through deflector shields. 

Ted Cassidy of the Addams Family provided the voice of the Gorn.

The Mythbusters investigated the diamond cannon Kirk used to defeat the Gorn, and found it to be implausible.  The bamboo used to make the cannon would have been destroyed in the explosion and killed Kirk.  But the episode takes place on an alien planet so you never know. 

"Son of Godzilla" released 1967

Son of Godzilla, released December 16, 1967 in Japan, is the eighth movie in the Godzilla franchise.  It was released to television in the United States in 1969.  Scientists on an island are trying to create a weather-controlling system, but discover a group of gigantic praying mantises (Kamacuras).  The mantises dig up an enormous egg, which hatches, revealing a baby Godzilla.  The mantises attack the baby Godzilla called Minilla, but Godzilla comes to the rescue.  

Godzilla and Minilla work together to defeat Kumonga (Spiga), a giant spider.  

It starred frequent Godzilla actors Akira Kubo, Akihiko Hirata, Kenji Sahara and Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla.

Pioneer 8 launched 1967

Pioneer 8, launched December 13, 1967, was the third of four satellites NASA launched to study the sun.  They were designed to make the first detailed, comprehensive measurements of the solar wind, magnetic field and cosmic rays.

Contact was made with Pioneer 8 in August 1996.  As recently as 2000, NASA made contact with Pioneer 6, launched the December before.  Although that was the last time, NASA believes contact can be made with Pioneers 6-8.  Pioneer 9 is definitely not working. 

Happy birthday, NASA astronaut Terry Virts!

Terry Virts, born December 1, 1967 in Baltimore, Maryland, has been in space twice.

His first mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-130) as pilot to the International Space Station in February 2010.  Its primary payloads were the Tranquility module and the Cupola, a control station that provided a 360° view of the station.

His second trip was aboard Soyuz TMA-15M, launched in November 2014.  He participated in Expedition 42 and served as commander of Expedition 43.  

He has performed 3 EVAs for just over 19 hours.

Apollo 4 launched 1967

Apollo 4, launched November 9, 1967, was the first unmanned test of the Saturn V rocket, which would eventually carry men to the moon.  The mission lasted about 9 hours and it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. 

Star Trek episode "The Doomsday Machine" airs 1967

The sixth episode of the second season of Star Trek, The Doomsday Machine, aired October 20, 1967.  The crew of the Enterprise comes across the seriously damaged sister ship the USS Constellation, helmed by Commodore Decker. He is the only survivor of an attack by a planet-killer.  He is determined to destroy the planet-killer, even at the cost of the USS Enterprise and her crew.

It has been called one of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series.

Disney's "The Jungle Book" released 1967

Disney Studios released their animated version of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, October 18, 1967.  It was the last movie to be personally supervised by Walt Disney and was the first to be released after his death in 1966.

The song The Bare Necessities was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.  The movie was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children.

Surveyor 5 launched 1967

Surveyor 5, launched September 8, 1967, was the fifth lunar lander of NASA's Surveyor program sending probes to the moon.  It landed successfully on September 11.  It had an alpha particle backscatter device to analyze the lunar surface.  It sent back over 19,000 images.

Contact was lost on December 17.

Happy birthday, Matrix actress Carrie-Anne Moss!

Beautiful actress Carrie-Ann Moss, born August 21, 1967 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, has starred in blockbuster movies such as The Matrix.  I've been a fan of hers since then and I've enjoyed her in The Red Planet and Pompeii. 

She was nominated for a Saturn award for her role in The Matrix.  According to imdb.com, she will appear in The Matrix 4, to be released in 2022.

Lunar Orbiter 5 launched 1967

Lunar Orbiter 5, launched August 1, 1967, was the last of NASA's Lunar Orbiter program, designed to take images of the Moon's far side. It reached the Moon on August 5 and took pictures from August 6-18, including photos of Tranquility Base, the future site of the Apollo 11 landing.

NASA deorbited it and it struck the lunar surface on January 31, 1968.

Venera 4 launches to Venus 1967

Venera 4, launched June 12, 1967, is the first spacecraft to survive entry into another planet's atmosphere.  The Soviets sent Venera 4 to Venus, and it arrived October 18, 1967 and entered the Venusian atmosphere.  The descent lasted 93 seconds, but it managed to relay some important information.  It measured temperature at 504 °F and pressure at 22 x the Earth's.  Atmospheric composition was determined to be 90-93% carbon dioxide, 7% nitrogen, 0.1-1.6% water vapor and 0.4-0.8% oxygen.

Agnes Moorehead wins Primetime Emmy for Supporting Actress 1967

The incomparable Agnes Moorehead won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role ina Drama, at the 19th Primetime Emmy awards ceremony June 4, 1967.  She won the award for her portrayal of Emma Valentine in Wild, Wild West. 

The same night she was also up for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series for her role as Endora on Bewitched.  She and Elizabeth Montgomery both lost to Lucille Ball.

Other winners that night were The Monkees for Outstanding Comedy Series, Bill Cosby for I Spy, and Don Adams for Get Smart.  Don Knotts won his fifth Emmy for his role as Barney Fife, a record that hasn't been broken.

Star Trek received a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series but lost to Mission: Impossible.

Jonathan Frid first appearance as Barnabas Collins in "Dark Shadows" 1967

Jonathan Frid made his first appearance as vampire Barnabas Collins on Episode #211 of Dark Shadows, which aired April 18, 1967.  He saved the show from the axe and the show became a hit.

Happy birthday, astronaut Michael Fincke!

Michael "Spanky" Fincke, born March 14, 1967 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been in space three times.

Fincke's first trip was aboard Soyuz TMA-4 as flight engineer in April 2004 to the International Space Station as part of Expedition 9.  He conducted four EVAs during the mission.  He returned to Earth in October 2004, after over 187 days in space.

His second trip was aboard Soyuz TMA-13 as flight engineer to the ISS in October 2008.  He was part of Expedition 18 and conducted 2 EVAs during the expedition.  He returned to Earth in April 2009.

His third flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-134) as mission specialist to the ISS in May 2011.  He conducted 3 EVAs during the mission.  He returned wiht the rest of the crew in June.

He has been selected to fly on the first crewed flight of the CST-100 Starliner, Boeing's capsule for participating in NASA's Commercial Crew Development program.  When he does, he will become the first astronaut since John Young to fly into space aboard three different launch vessels.

Star Trek episode "The Devil in the Dark" airs 1967

One of the best, and creepiest, epsiodes of Star Trek (The Original Series), The Devil in the Dark aired March 9, 1967.  The crew of the Enterprise is called to the planet Janus VI, where a monster has been killing members of a mining colony.  As the investigation continues, Kirk, Spock and McCoy realize that the "monster" called the Horta, might not be as evil as first thought.

In 1995, Arthur C. Clarke said this was only episode he could recall.  It impressed him because "the idea, unusual in science fiction then and now, that something weird, and even dangerous need not be malevolent."

Many critics consider this episode as one of the best of the original series.  William Shatner said this was his favorite episode.  Leonard Nimoy said it was a "wonderful episode about the fear of the unknown, how we fear and even hate something that we don't know anything about, learn who your enemy is, and it's not, maybe then it's not no longer your enemy."

Uhura and Sulu don't appear in this episode.

Star Trek episode "The Galileo Seven" airs 1967

Another one of my favorite Star Trek episodes and the one that still creeps me out, The Galileo Seven, season one, episode sixteen, aired January 5, 1967.  It contains some of the cheesy scenes which have endeared us to the original series.  For example, Spock picking up a giant spear and throwing it back at the creatures; the obvious switch from actor to stunt man when a character falls off a cliff.

Yet, it showed Spock under fire when his logic fails when trying to deal with the illogical creatures on the planet where they have crash landed.  Scotty and McCoy are among the stranded crew.

The episode starred Don Marshall as Lt. Boma, Phyllis Douglas as Yeoman Mears and Grant Woods as Kelowitz.  Woods would return for two more episodes as Kelowitz.  Douglas appeared once more as a hippy in The Way to Eden.

Of course, I didn't see it when it first aired because my parents did not watch Star Trek.  I had to wait until it came out in syndication years later.

Star Trek episode 'Wolf in The Fold' airs 1967

Wolf in the Fold, the fourteenth episode of Season 2 of Star Trek (TOS) first aired December 22, 1967.  Written by Robert Bloch (author of Psycho), the episode focuses on Engineer Montgomery Scott (Scotty) being accused of brutally stabbing three women to death. It reads as a spooky whodunit, unusual for a science fiction series, but it's one of my favorites.

Wolf in the Fold did stir up a lot of controversy, by its depiction of women as the victims, the killer's hatred of women and the misogynistic tone of the script.  Most notably criticized is Spock's line that "women are more easily and more deeply terrified, generating more sheer horror than the male of the species."

It has also been pointed out that the psycho-tricorder is a "ridiculous invention-of-the-week".  I have to concede this point since it is the only episode that involves such a gadget and we didn't even get to see it work.

But it also features the crew on a planet being subjected to their laws, something we don't normally see.

Dr. McCoy has some great one-liners.  He once states he has a drug that could "tranquilize an active volcano".  Later someone asks him what would happen if the evil entity entered a tranquilized body, McCoy says it would probably "take up knitting, but nothing more harmful than that."