Star Trek: The Original Series first aired in 1966, created by Gene Roddenberry, and its opening sequence quickly became one of the most recognisable introductions in television. The soft chime leads into Alexander Courage's theme and Captain Kirk's famous narration about space as the final frontier. Through decades of reruns, films, streaming and fan culture, that opening has stayed instantly familiar even to people who have never watched a full episode. Creators now reuse the chime as shorthand for classic science fiction, exploration and a hopeful vision of the future.