One of the sci-fi genre’s most famous franchises celebrated its 50th anniversary Sept. 8. The first “Star Trek” television series premiered on a Thursday night in 1966, three years before Apollo 11, and during both the Cold War and Civil Rights Movement.

The series, under visionary Gene Roddenberry’s guidance, broke new ground in television by featuring both an African American woman and an Asian American man as prominent members of the cast, without racial stereotypes. While unusual for its time, this variety of casting is commonplace today, and has given the show a lasting power that many others of its time lack. The tradition of examining controversial issues continued into later series as well.

Eventually spanning six television series, over a dozen films, and countless novels, “Star Trek” has captivated its fans with three-dimensional characters and intelligent plots combined with a classic story of exploration.

Photo via Google under Creative Commons license

The anniversary year is also marked by the release of a new film, “Star Trek Beyond.” Fans look forward to the premiere of the first “Star Trek” series on the small screen since “Enterprise” went off the air in 2005. The new series, titled “Star Trek: Discovery” will be set much closer in the series time-line to the original series than any of the other sequel series which aired between 1987 and 2005. A few tantalizing hints about where the series might go have been released already, but for the most part, the new series is shrouded in mystery.

While not met with quite as much fanfare as “Doctor Who’s” 50th anniversary, fans have found ways to celebrate. BBC America aired uncut and digitally re-mastered the first two seasons of the original series, while Syfy aired a three-movie marathon.