James T. Kirk


 * For the mirror universe counterpart, see James T. Kirk (mirror).
 * For the counterpart in the timeline created by Nero's incursion, see James T. Kirk (STXI)‎.
 * For the counterpart in Star Trek: Phase II, see James T. Kirk (STNV).

James Tiberius Kirk was one of the most famous Starfleet officers in Federation history. Kirk's most famous years were as the captain of two different Enterprises, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) and the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A).

History
James Kirk was born to George and Winona Kirk in 2233. His first name was the same as his maternal grandfather, and his middle name was adopted from his paternal grandfather's name. 


 * In the novelization for, it is mentioned that James were also the names of a late paternal uncle, and of his mother's first lover.

Kirk's class at Starfleet Academy (class of 2254) was the first group of cadets to be selected on the basis of their "limited intellectual agility". ( novelization)

Kirk rose to become the youngest captain in Starfleet history when he received command of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in 2264. Over the next three decades the names Kirk and Enterprise were synonymous. With the retirement of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) in 2293, that historic partnership ended.

That same year, Kirk participated in the commissioning of the ship that replaced his famous vessel, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B). During the shakedown cruise the Enterprise became trapped in the Nexus after attempting to rescue the crew and passengers of two other vessels. Kirk was instrumental in freeing the vessel; however he was believed killed after the section he was in was destroyed and opened to space by an energy discharge from the Nexus. 

After Kirk's presumed death, Captain Thekla Lawless, a close friend for at least two decades, spoke at Kirk's memorial service. One statement she made was, "Jim was a close friend who always seemed to be a knight in shining armor when a young woman needed one."

In 2371, Jean-Luc Picard, after entering the Nexus, discovered that Kirk had not died as history had thought and was alive inside the Nexus. Picard convinced Kirk to leave the false paradise of the Nexus to assist him in saving the Veridian system by stopping Tolian Soran from destroying the system's sun. Thanks to Kirk's help, Picard's mission was successful, though at the cost of Kirk's life in earnest. 

Awards and honors

 * Palm Leaf of Axanar Peace Mission
 * Grankite Order of Tactics (Class of Excellence)
 * Prentares Ribbon of Commendation (Classes First and Second)
 * Medal of Honor
 * Starfleet Silver Palm (with cluster)
 * Starfleet Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry
 * Karagite Order of Heroism
 * Khitomer Peace Mission Medal
 * Leonard James Akaar - The Teer of Capella IV bears the name of McCoy and James T. Kirk.
 * USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) - A starship was rechristened in recognition of his service, bearing the registration number of his original command, an honor carried on for generations.

Key dates

 * 2233: Born in Riverside, Iowa on Earth.
 * 2246: One of nine witnesses to massacre ordered by Governor Kodos on Tarsus IV.
 * 2250: Enters Starfleet Academy as a cadet (conjecture). Meets Gary Mitchell and Ben Finney during Academy years.
 * 2252: Romantically involved with Ruth.
 * Early to mid-2250s: Still at the Academy, is introduced to a "blonde lab tech" by Gary. Later, as an ensign, is assigned aboard USS Republic (NCC-1371) with Lieutenant Ben Finney. Kirk also participates in the Axanar Peace Mission.
 * 2254: Graduates from Academy after beating the "no-win" Kobayashi Maru scenario. Assigned to command of Captain Garrovick (conjecture).
 * 2255: Commands his first planet survey mission on Neural.
 * 2257: Encounters dikironium cloud creature while serving abouard USS Farragut (NCC-1647).
 * 2261: Relationship with Carol Marcus ends; their son, David Marcus, is born. Kirk breaks off relationship with Janet Wallace.
 * 2263: Breaks off relationship with Areel Shaw.
 * 2265 - 2270: As captain, commands a five-year mission of USS Enterprise. Specific accomplishments include:
 * 2265: Takes the Enterprise to the galactic barrier, the first Earth ship to do so in 200 years. During the mission, is forced to kill close friend Gary Mitchell.
 * 2266: Achieves first contact with the First Federation. Later that year, repels Romulan incursion into the Neutral Zone and destroys a Romulan Bird-of-Prey.
 * 2267: Becomes the first Starfleet captain ever to stand court-martial, charged with negligent homicide in the death of Ben Finney. Charges dismissed.
 * 2268: Responsible for stealing a Romulan cloaking device during a covert Starfleet intelligence mission. Experiences amnesia and lives among the American Indians on Amerind where he weds Miramanee.
 * 2269: Diverts the asteroid-ship Yonada from destroying Daran V.
 * 2270: Promoted to rear admiral and assigned as Chief of Starfleet Operations.
 * Early 2270s: Accepts temporary grade reduction to captain and assumes command of USS Enterprise to intercept V'Ger.
 * 2273-78: In many continuities, including that of Pocket Books and Orion Press, Kirk commanded a second five-year mission aboard Enterprise.
 * 2281: Retires from Starfleet.
 * 2284: Returns to Starfleet as an instructor at Starfleet Academy.
 * 2285: Assumes temporary command of Enterprise during a routine training mission; engages Khan Singh in the Battle of the Mutara Nebula. Deserts from Starfleet later that year to retrieve Captain Spock's body from the Genesis planet.
 * 2286: Returns to Earth to face court-martial charges. Subsequently saves the planet in the whale probe incident. Demoted to captain for disobeying orders of Starfleet Commander Harry Morrow and assigned to command the USS Enterprise-A.
 * 2287: Takes Enterprise-A to the center of the galaxy after a hijack attempt by Vulcan renegade Sybok.
 * 2293: Along with Captain Hikaru Sulu of the USS Excelsior, is responsible for saving the Khitomer Conference. Retires from Starfleet and is believed killed later that year during the maiden voyage of the Enterprise-B.
 * 2371: Found alive inside the Nexus by Jean-Luc Picard. Killed by Tolian Soran while defeating Soran's plans and saving Veridian system.

Absolute Horizon/Cloak and Dagger
James Kirk's father George died when Jim was 13. After his father's death, Kirk ran away to live with relatives on Tarsus IV, where his great-aunt Marina was one of those killed by Governor Kodos's forces. Those who were undeemed unworthy of life were given a red scarf to wear, while those deemed worthy according to Kodos's eugenic theories were given a blue scarf.

Jim joined a resistance cell against Governor Kodos; as punishment, after they were caught, all of the other members of the cell were executed in front of him.

Kirk was imprisoned for nearly a month during that time, and was freed by a female Starfleet officer whose name he did not remember.

The depredations the young Kirk suffered on Tarsus IV were what motivated him to seek the command-track at Starfleet Academy. He wanted to keep all of the people under his command safe. (Absolute Horizon)

Kirk's mother's name was Winona Keeble. Sam and Jim had a sister, Carolina, who was born (two years before Jim) too prematurely to survive. Jim himself had been born five weeks early, on a colony world called Melosia.

Jim always idolized his brother Sam and was overprotective of him, despite the fact that Sam was the older one. When Sam was killed by the neural parasites on Deneva, Winona blamed Jim for not getting there fast enough. She compared him to his late father: "Always better at saving others than saving your own family." (Cloak and Dagger)

"As if Rain for Resurrection"
Kirk's great-grandfather, Crewman James Robelius Kirk, was a cook on the Columbia and was killed in an accident in 2179.

In 2259, Kirk was executive officer of the USS Alexander.


 * Different Bantam Books and Pocket Books novels assert Kirk as being exec on different vessels, all around the same time.

Kirk took command of Enterprise at age 29 (thus was born in 2235) after commanding the Lydia Sutherland, which had been involved in a battle at Ghioghe. His father, George Samuel Kirk, Sr., did not live to see him become captain of the Enterprise, as he had died five years previously; however, his mother Winona and brother Sam attended the change-of-command ceremony.

In this continuity, he had met Leonard McCoy before assuming command of Enterprise, but had not yet met Spock, Montgomery Scott, Hikaru Sulu, and Nyota Uhura. Kirk had wanted Gary Mitchell as his exec, but an admiral had overruled him and put Spock in the billet instead.

Expanding the Oecumene
Kirk and Spock first met in San Francisco. Spock was then three years ahead of Kirk at the Academy.

"A Moment on Tarsus IV"
On Tarsus IV, the 13-year-old Jim Kirk helped a young Vulcan boy that he discovered beside his mother's body. He helped the Vulcan by keeping him fed and protecting him from human predators. An older Vulcan took over responsibility from Kirk. He would not learn either of the Vulcans' names until many years later.

Orion Press
James Tiberius Kirk was born in 2232 in Riverside, Iowa to George Samuel Kirk, Sr. and Marjorie Kirk. (Lexicon K-L, 2010 revision)

Kirk and Carol Marcus became parents to a son, David Marcus, the year that Kirk graduated from the Academy, 2254.

By 2263, Kirk had achieved the rank of lieutenant commander and was both second officer and chief of security on the Farragut. The following year, he received a promotion to full commander and was given command of the USS Shenandoah.

In addition to Peter Kirk, one of the few survivors of the Denevan blastoneuron invasion, Kirk had two other nephews, George Samuel Kirk III, aka "Georgie", and Marc Kirk. ("Sam")

In 2285, during the Kelvan War, Kirk was assigned as Commander, Task Force Six and, later, Commander of the Kelvan Theater of Operations. (In Harm's Way)

Shatnerverse
In this continuity, James Kirk's father was named George Joseph Kirk.

In 2372, Kirk was revived after his death on Veridian III. He played a key role in foiling an alliance between rogue Romulans and the Borg Collective. Subsequently, married Teilani, aided the Federation during the virogen crisis, and prevented an incursion from the mirror universe led by his counterpart. ( s: ', ', ', ', )

Kirk and Teilani had a son, Joseph Kirk. (Preserver)

The Starfleet Museum
Kirk served under Captain Matthew Decker as executive officer of the USS Tav (NCC-1674) for a time in the late 2250s. (The Starfleet Museum)

Star Trek II Biographies
James Tiberius Kirk is said to be born in 2132, a century before contemporary theories of Trek continuity, to Eugene Claudius Kirk and Marjorie (née Wimpole) Kirk on Farside Base, Luna. As well, in this continuity, he is a middle child, with a younger sister, Michelle Suzanne Kirk.

James T. Kirk