Maybe these reference points will help:

2233 January 4:Incident with the USS Kelvin, George Kirk is first officer. James T. Kirk is born. (Memory Alpha STAR TREK 2009)

2242: The battle of Donatu V is fought near Sherman’s Planet, in a region disputed by the Klingon Empire and the United Federation of Planets.

2253: Spock graduates from Starfleet Academy. (Okuda Chronology 1996)

2254: U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, is involved in a violent conflict on planet Rigel VII. Three crew members, including the captain’s yeoman, are killed, and seven are injured. Pike later blames the incident on his own carelessness in not anticipating hostilities by the Rigelians. (Okuda Chronology 1996)

2254:“The Cage” (TOS) U.S.S. Enterprise en route to the Vega colony, detects distress call from spaceship S.S. Columbia, which records indicate had disappeared near the Talos Star Group some 18 years ago. Investigation leads to discovery of the Columbia’s crash site on planet Talos IV, and contact with the planet’s indigenous inhabitants. The Talosians attempt to capture Pike in an effort to insure survival of their civilization, but Pike and the Enterprise escape by convincing the Talosians of human unsuitability for captivity. (Okuda Chronology 1996)

2255: Kirk flirts with Uhura (with unfortunate results), is later approached by Captain Pike about joining Starfleet. Kirk signs up, meets McCoy. (Memory Alpha STAR TREK May 2009)

2258:During his third year at the Academy, James T. Kirk is accused of cheating on the Kobayashi Maru test by its programmer, Commander Spock. (IMDB synopsis 2009)

2258 February: Main action of the film. At one point, when Pike is reported as a hostage of Nero, the captain’s log gives the Stardate as 2258.42.

“Acting Captain’s Log, Stardate 2258.42. We have had no word from Captain Pike, I therefore classified him as a hostage of the war criminal known as Nero. Nero, who has destroyed my home planet and most of its 6 billion inhabitants. While the essence of our culture has been saved in the elders who now reside upon this ship, I estimate that no more than 10,000 Vulcans have survived. …. I am now a member of an endangered species.”

After Spock’s marooning of Kirk, the date is given as “2258.42 …four, uh, four-whatever.” (Memory Alpha STAR TREK May 2009)


- Ed C.