Gene Roddenberry, the man who created Star Trek, would have been 81 years old today had he not passed away in 1991. The franchise that he created in the 1960's and reinvented in the 1980's with Star Trek: The Next Generation has not only stayed alive but has expanded exponentially, with the additions of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Enterprise, not to mention a series of films that will hit the double-digit mark this December.

In fact, more Star Trek content has been produced since Roddenberry's death than when he was alive, a staggering legacy even he might never have dreamed possible.

While the Star Trek universe is no doubt different than it would be were the Great Bird himself still around and overseeing things — HOW different is the source of endless speculation at conventions and on Internet message boards — the fact that it has grown in so many directions and has had so many creative minds contributing to it attests to the durability and integrity of his vision of the future. His creation has taken on a life of its own, and like any child with an excellent upbringing, continues to flourish in his absence.