This Week in Star Trek History: Feb. 1-5

StarTrek.com looks back at events across Star Trek history that occurred from February 1-5.

Feb. 1

Bill Mumy was born on this day in 1954. Mumy, of course, is best known for his role as Will Robinson on Lost in Space, as well as for his unforgettable appearances in a couple of classic Twilight Zone episodes, not to mention his performances as Lennier on Babylon 5. But the actor made a brief appearance in the Star Trek universe when he guest starred as Kellin in “The Siege of AR-558,” a seventh-season episode of Deep Space Nine.

The Next Generation episode “Aquiel” debuted on this day in 1993. A whodunit hour, the sixth-season show also featured a love interest for Geordi (LeVar Burton), namely Aquiel Uhnari (Renee Jones), a suspect in the aforementioned whodunit.

Feb. 2

Brent Spiner was born on this day in 1949. The actor, TNG’s beloved Data, has been keeping a low profile lately. His most recent credits include a 2009 episode of Leverage (directed by Jonathan Frakes, natch) and a voiceover for a 2010 episode of the animated show Generator Rex, and he still makes occasional convention appearances.

UPN announced on this day in 2005 that it had canceled Enterprise. Cast and crew were in the midst of filming the episode “In a Mirror Darkly, Part II” when informed of the news. The timing of the network’s announcement left just enough scheduling wiggle room for the show’s producers to devise a series finale, the controversial one-hour capper, “These Are the Voyages…”

Feb. 3

“The City on the Edge of Forever” commenced shooting on this day in 1967. The episode, penned by Harlan Ellison and featuring a heartbreaking guest appearance by Joan Collins, is widely considered TOS’ finest hour.

“Gravity” premiered on this day in 1999. The fifth-season Voyager episode follows Tuvok and Paris, who are stuck on a planet where time races by inordinately fast. Complicating matters, Tuvok falls for Noss (Lori Petty), an alien female who takes a liking to him.

Feb. 4

The DS9 episode “Who Mourns for Morn” debuted on this day in 1998. Morn, the Quark’s barfly who never speaks, fakes his own death in this entertaining show. Even more fun: the Bajoran guy sitting in Morn’s usual seat is Mark Allen Shepherd, the actor usually inside Morn’s suit. And that artwork of Morn on the bar? Shepherd painted that, one of numerous pieces the Trek props department bought from him over the years.

IDW Publishing released the trade paperback collection Star Trek: Mirror Images on this day in 2009. The collection brings together five installments in a Mirror Universe saga written by Scott and David Tipton, with art by David Messina.

Feb. 5

David Hillary Hughes died on this day in 1974. Hughes played the Council of Elders member Trefayne in the TOS episode “Errand of Mercy.” Interestingly, Hughes, who was 72 years old at the time of his death, apparently only appeared in a grand total of four films and TV shows, Star Trek included, during his career.

The Enterprise episode “Stigma” aired on this day in 2003. Scripted by the tandem of Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, the episode was a HIV/AIDS parable in which T’Pol contracts a lethal disease that would immediately make her an outcast among her fellow Vulcans if word spread that she’d contracted it.