23rd century

The Khitomer Conference in the late 23rd century

"Captain Sulu, Captain Kirk, Doctor McCoy. They all belonged to a different breed of Starfleet officers. Imagine the era they lived in: the Alpha Quadrant still largely unexplored... Humanity on the verge of war with the Klingons, Romulans hiding behind every nebula. Even the technology we take for granted was still in its early stages: no plasma weapons, no multi-phasic shields... Their ships were half as fast."
"No replicators. No holodecks. You know, ever since I took Starfleet history at the Academy, I've always wondered what it would be like to live in those days."
"Space must have seemed a whole lot bigger back then. It's not surprising they had to bend the rules a little. They were a little slower to invoke the Prime Directive, and a little quicker to pull their phasers. Of course, the whole bunch of them would be booted out of Starfleet today. But I have to admit: I would have loved to ride shotgun at least once with a group of officers like that."

– Kathryn Janeway and Harry Kim, 2373 ("Flashback")

The 23rd century, defined in the calendar of Earth as being from 2201 until 2300, was a period of expansion for the United Federation of Planets, with Humans and other founding species, such as Vulcans, at the forefront of exploration. The Federation's exploration agency Starfleet would make first contact with numerous intelligent species and civilizations, including the Talosians, the First Federation, the Gorn Hegemony. the Metrons, the Horta, and the Excalbians. The long-running conflict with the Klingon Empire, begun in the 22nd century, was a major topic of this century's history, as was the rekindling of tensions with the Romulan Star Empire. Of particular note are the voyages of the starship Enterprise and the careers of its long-serving command staff under James T. Kirk.

Decades

2200s • 2210s • 2220s • 2230s • 2240s • 2250s • 2260s • 2270s • 2280s • 2290s

Major events

• 2223: Relations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire degenerate starting a tense cold war. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
• 2243: The duotronic computer is invented by Doctor Richard Daystrom, becoming the primary computing platform for all Starfleet vessels for the following eighty years. (TOS: "The Ultimate Computer"; TNG: "Relics")
• 2245: The Federation starship USS Enterprise is launched. (TAS: "The Counter-Clock Incident"; DIS: "Brother")
• 2256: An open war between the Federation and the internally riven Klingon Empire breaks out. (DIS: "Battle at the Binary Stars")
• 2257: The costly Federation-Klingon war comes to an end and the Klingon Empire is politically stabilized. (DIS: "Will You Take My Hand?") Control is defeated and the mystery of the Red Angel is discovered by the crews of the USS Discovery and the USS Enterprise. After the conflict, the crew of Discovery jump 930 years into future. (DIS: "Such Sweet Sorrow", "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2")
• 2265: The El-Aurian homeworld is destroyed by the Borg. (TNG: "Q Who") Klingons and Federation sign some kind of peace treaty. (TOS: "Day of the Dove")
• 2266: After a century of isolation, the Romulan Star Empire engages in a series of unprovoked attacks on several outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone. During the incident, the first visual contact of the previously unseen Romulans themselves are made, revealing them to be an offshoot of Vulcans. (TOS: "Balance of Terror")
• 2267: Federation-Klingon relations improve with the signing of the Treaty of Organia. Together with the Romulan Star Empire the two powers also establish a "colony of galactic peace" on Nimbus III. (TOS: "Errand of Mercy"; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)
• 2278: The USS Bozeman disappears while on the Typhon Expanse. (TNG: "Cause and Effect")
• 2285: The detonation of the Genesis Device during the Battle of the Mutara Nebula, results in the formation of the first artificially-created planet. Due to the use of protomatter in the development of the device, however, the planet proves to be unstable and destroys itself soon after. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)
• 2286: Earth is again saved from being obliterated by a probe of unknown origin. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
• 2293: Despite the prior assassination of Klingon Chancellor Gorkon, the Khitomer Accords between the Federation and the Klingon Empire are signed at the Khitomer Conference to establish a lasting peace between the two powers. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

Alternate reality

• 2233: The USS Kelvin is destroyed battling the Narada. (Star Trek)
• 2258: The Narada uses red matter to destroy Vulcan. The crew of the newly-launched USS Enterprise prevents a similar fate befalling Earth. (Star Trek)
• 2259: After a bombing in London, an attack on Starfleet Headquarters, and a massacre on Qo'noS, the terrorist Khan Noonien Singh crashes the dreadnought USS Vengeance into San Francisco before being arrested by the Enterprise crew and returned to cryogenic sleep. (Star Trek Into Darkness)
• 2260: A fully recovered Kirk gives a stirring speech about the principles of the Federation, and embarks on his historic five-year mission aboard the Enterprise. (Star Trek Into Darkness)
• 2263: After only three years into its five year mission, the Enterprise is destroyed during a battle over the planet Altamid, when it is attacked by Krall and his Swarm ships. The long-lost USS Franklin is discovered intact on Altamid by Montgomery Scott. (Star Trek Beyond)

Events without specified years

Prime reality

Early 23rd century

• As of sometime between 2226 and 2240, the First Republic exists on Cardassia Prime and is known for its serialist poets such as Iloja of Prim, who is ultimately exiled on Vulcan, however. (DS9: "Destiny")
• Somewhere between 2236 and 2254, the time barrier is broken. (TOS: "The Cage")

Mid 23rd century

• A Vulcan science mission discovers a subspace rupture in the Hanoli system. The Vulcans attempt to seal the rupture with a pulse wave torpedo, but instead cause the rupture to expand exponentially. The entire star system, including the Vulcans, is wiped out. (DS9: "If Wishes Were Horses")

Late 23rd century

• An attack on Earth by a massive machine lifeform called V'ger is closely averted in the 2270s. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
• The tribble species is eradicated by the Klingons. (DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations")
• A group of young Ba'ku desires to follow the way of the offlanders. They attempt to take over the Ba'ku planet, but fail and get exiled, thereby becoming the Son'a. (Star Trek: Insurrection)

Unspecified

• Cloaking devices are installed aboard Klingon starships such as the IKS Klothos. (DS9: "Once More Unto the Breach")
• On the homeworld of the Haliians, the family of Aquiel Uhnari acquire a house they will live in for the next five generations. (TNG: "Aquiel")
• An alternate approach to the transporter, the Elway Theorem, is first tested in this century. Instead of utilizing subspace as the medium for which matter and energy are transported from one location to another, this form of transporting uses dimensions of space. In the end, this approach is rejected as fatal for the subject and being not as nearly as accurate as the transporter. (TNG: "The High Ground")
• The Klingon Empire relinquishes its claim to the Archanis sector. (DS9: "Broken Link")
• Bajoran musicians known as the Boldaric masters produce music. (DS9: "Crossover")
• The common use of invidium in medical containment fields is ended. (TNG: "Hollow Pursuits")
• The first small and unstable wormhole is mapped near a T-Tauri system. (TNG: "Clues")
• On Tagus III, the Taguans seal off the ruins to outsiders. (TNG: "Qpid")
• On Kaelon II, the theories of helium fusion enhancement are first proposed. (TNG: "Half a Life")
• An earthquake is registered on Penthara IV. For the next hundred years, the planet is seismically quiet. (TNG: "A Matter of Time")
• The first diagnosis of Iresine Syndrome is made. (TNG: "Violations")

Mirror universe

• Late 23rd century to early 24th century: Sometime between 2267 and 2270, Spock becomes commander-in-chief of the Terran Empire and implements several major reforms, turning the Empire into a more peaceful and less aggressive power. Prior to the full enactment of these reforms, the Terran Empire forces occupy Bajor. Spock's reforms leave the Empire unprepared to fight against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. The Alliance conquers the entire Terran Empire, enslaving the Terrans and Vulcans. (DS9: "Crossover")

22nd century

Timeline

24th century

Appendices

23rd century productions

• Star Trek: The Original Series
  • Except for "Assignment: Earth"
• Star Trek: The Animated Series
• Star Trek films:
  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture
  • Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
  • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (in part)
  • Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
  • Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
  • Star Trek Generations (in part)
  • Star Trek (alternate 23rd century)
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (alternate 23rd century)
  • Star Trek Beyond (alternate 23rd century)
• DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations" (in part)
• VOY: "Gravity" (in part)
• ENT: "These Are the Voyages..."
• Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 2
• Star Trek: Short Treks
  • Except for "Calypso" and "Children of Mars"

External links

• 23rd century at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 23rd century at the Star Trek Online Wiki