Star Trek fans gathered at the Science Museum in London, England, on Tuesday to break a Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous Vulcan salute.
A total of 934 fans assembled at the venue on September 8 with the explicit goal of claiming the official title. The participants successfully established the record by maintaining the iconic hand posture continuously for one minute.
The Vulcan salute is defined as a hand gesture made with the palm facing forward, the thumb extended, and the fingers separated into a V shape between the middle and ring fingers. Images and video records of the gathering were subsequently published on the official social media channels of both Star Trek and Guinness World Records.
The Vulcan salute and franchise history
The hand sign is famous as the traditional greeting of the Vulcan alien species in the fictional universe, most notably performed by the half-Vulcan officer Spock, played by actor Leonard Nimoy. In the lore of the franchise, the physical gesture is customarily paired with the phrase live long and prosper.
Created by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek is a long-running American science fiction franchise depicting human space exploration. Guinness World Records, established in the 1950s and based in London, serves as the primary international authority for cataloging world records and superlative achievements.
The Science Museum, located in South Kensington, London, is one of the UK's major public museums devoted to science, technology, and engineering history.
Sixty years of peaceful exploration
The record attempt took place on the exact day that fans celebrated the 60th anniversary of the media franchise. The first episode of the original television series made its broadcast debut on September 8, 1966.
The original television show revolutionized science fiction by portraying a unified, diverse future that emphasized peaceful exploration, diplomacy, and optimistic hope for humanity. Over the course of six decades, the media property has expanded into a vast universe encompassing dozens of television series, feature films, animated shows, and comic books.
