TV's Star Trek is set in which century?

The voyages of the starship USS Enterprise, as depicted in the original series, take place in the 23rd century. Specifically, the show chronicles the first three years of Captain James T. Kirk's historic five-year mission, which is dated from roughly 2266 to 2269. This places the events of the show approximately three centuries after it originally aired in the 1960s, providing a futuristic backdrop for its exploration of space and encounters with new civilizations.

The show's creator, Gene Roddenberry, initially conceived of the series as being set in the 23rd century. While he famously used the "stardate" system to avoid tying stories to exact dates, the timeline has been firmly established within the franchise's canon. This setting allowed for a vision of a utopian future where humanity had moved past many of the social and political conflicts of the 20th century. The era is characterized by the United Federation of Planets' peaceful exploration of the galaxy, though they frequently encountered galactic adversaries like the Klingons.

This 23rd-century setting places the original series chronologically after the events of "Star Trek: Enterprise" and the early seasons of "Star Trek: Discovery." It is also about a century before the adventures of the crew in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," which is set in the 24th century. The time period of the original series remains a cornerstone of the entire Star Trek saga, establishing the foundational characters and themes that would be explored for decades to come.