Sorry Enterprise & First Contact, But Star Trek's First Vulcan On Earth Actually Happened In The Original Series

The first Vulcans on Earth in Star Trek made first contact with humans on April 5, 2063 ... or were they? In Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: The Next Generation's USS Enterprise-D crew follow the Borg to 2063, and ensure that humanity's entry into the galactic community goes off without a hitch. Because of their success, the Vulcans still take notice of humanity's first warp-capable starship, the Phoenix, when Zefram Cochran (James Cromwell) makes his historic flight, and First Contact Day continues to be a Star Trek holiday celebrated on April 5.

Star Trek: Enterprise claims that Vulcans made it to Earth much earlier in the Star Trek timeline. In Enterprise season 2, episode 2, "Carbon Creek," Jolene Blalock plays both Subcommander T'Pol and her ancestor, T'Mir, who was part of a Vulcan science team that crash-landed in Carbon Creek, Pennsylvania, in 1957. Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and Commander Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer) are skeptical of T'Pol's story, which contradicts Cochran's 2063 first contact with Vulcans as an undeniable historical fact. But the truth is, there was another Vulcan on Earth even before T'Mir.

Spock Was The First Vulcan On Earth In Star Trek: The Original Series

Spock's Earth Trip Pre-Dates Both First Contact's Vulcans And Enteprise's T'Mir

Before First Contact Day in 2063, and before T'Mir's crash in 1957, the real first Vulcan on Earth was Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in Star Trek: The Original Series. Through the Guardian of Forever (Bartell La Rue), Spock time traveled back to the 1930s with Captain James Kirk (William Shatner) in the Star Trek: The Original Series season 1 episode, "The City on the Edge of Forever." Even though Spock arrived prior to First Contact because of time travel, Spock still technically earns the honor of being the first Vulcan to chronologically set foot on Earth.

It's apropos that Spock is Star Trek's first Vulcan on Earth, because Spock is also the first Vulcan that Earth met, from a production standpoint. After "The City on the Edge of Forever", Spock returns to 20th century Earth, as if to cement the bond between Spock and viewers. In the last episode of Star Trek: The Original Series' season 2, "Assignment: Earth," Spock is part of the away team on Earth in 1968. Later, Spock joins Kirk in 1986 San Francisco, on a search for humpback whales George and Gracie in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

Every Vulcan On Earth Before Star Trek: First Contact Was A Secret

Vulcans Had To Blend In When Earth Was Pre-Warp

Every Vulcan on Earth before Star Trek: First Contact had to keep their identity a secret, because Vulcans believed a culture was only ready to learn about other intelligent species after developing warp drive. Earth was a pre-warp planet until 2063, so humans weren't supposed to know about any earlier Vulcans on Earth. The Vulcan policy of avoiding contact with pre-warp societies evolved into Starfleet's Prime Directive, which Spock was beholden to in 1930. The Prime Directive also applied to Spock's trips to 1968 and 1986.

Vulcans managed to stay out of Earth's history books by passing as 20th century humans, with mixed success. It was easier to hide Vulcan features with hats and headbands than it was to close the cultural gap. T'Mir's all-Vulcan team in Star Trek: Enterprise tried to avoid detection, but eventually had to try blending in with Carbon Creek, Pennsylvania's local population. Spock may not have spent as much time on Earth as T'Mir in Star Trek: Enterprise, and couldn't make history like the Vulcans in Star Trek: First Contact, but Spock was still Star Trek's first Vulcan on Earth.