This Day in Trek History

StarTrek.com is pleased to bring back one of our most-popular recurring pieces, This Day in Star Trek History. Once or twice a month we'll pick a day and recount what -- across the span of behind-the-scenes Trek history -- occurred on that day.

And so we begin with October 8...

Dallas Mitchell was born on this day in 1927. Mitchell portrayed Lt. Tom Nellis in the first-season Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Charlie X." The actor, whose other credits included The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Kojack, Mission: Impossible, The Six Million Dollar Man and Quincy, M.E., died in 2009 at the age of 81.

Back on this day in 1968, the cast and crew of TOS gathered to shoot day three of production on the episode "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield."

Kristanna Loken was born on this day in 1979. Loken is best known for her role as the T-X in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, but years earlier -- credited as Kristanna S. Loken -- she guest starred as Malia in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Favorite Son." Her latest appearances include a guest spot on Girl Meets World (reprising a recurring role on Boy Meets World) and the indie films Beyond the Game and Body of Deceit.

"Brothers" aired on this day in 1990. The third episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation's fourth season, it featured Data going above and beyond to save a sick boy, and, in the process meeting both Lore and his "father," Dr. Soong. Brent Spiner played Data, Lore and Soong. Additional facts: Rick Berman wrote the episode, and it was the last one directed by Rob Bowman.

On October 8, 1993, the final draft of the teleplay for the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Sanctuary" was handed in. The second-season episode's guest cast would include Deborah May, William Schallert, Kitty Swink (Mrs. Armin Shimerman), Leland Orser, Nicholas Shaffer and Walter Koenig's son, Andrew Koenig.