Happy 80th Birthday, Nichelle Nichols

On her 80th birthday, we at TrekNews.net would like to wish Star Trek: The Original Series star Nichelle Nichols a very happy birthday.

Born in Robbins, Illinois on December 28, 1932, singer, dancer, actress, and writer, Nichelle Nichols starred in all three seasons of TOS along with six feature films.

Her Star Trek character, Nyota Uhura, broke down many 1960s racial stereotypes and will forever have a special place in television and entertainment history.

Today, Nichelle continues to be an inspiration to generations of fans with her positive outlook on life and hope for a better tomorrow.

Nichols along with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and her co-stars DeForest Kelley, George Takei, James Doohan, Leonard Nimoy and Walter Koenig with the Space Shuttle Enterprise in 1976.

Earlier this year, while visiting Washington D.C. in celebration of Black History Month, she had the opportunity to meet United States President Barack Obama in the Oval Office. Nichelle later tweeted the photo of them both flashing a Vulcan salute along with the caption “A photo came to me in the mail that I’ve kept for myself for over a week, but now it’s time to share it with Trekkers everywhere.”

Nichols with Obama in February 2012

Nichelle continues to attend several Star Trek and pop culture conventions each year. In 2013, she’s scheduled to appear at Creation Entertainment’s Official Star Trek Conventions in Boston and Las Vegas.

Here’s wishing Nichelle a very happy birthday.

You can follow Nichelle on Twitter at @RealNichelle and visit her website at Uhura.com.