Living Long and Prospering

Some sad news to report as we enter the month of March.  Those of you who were huge fans of "Star Trek" are probably mourning the loss of Leonard Nimoy, who passed away on February 27, 2015, at the age of 83.  And even if you were not a fan of "Star Trek", I imagine that many people all over the world are still saddened by his passing.  For many people, Leonard Nimoy was the epitome of class, and his intelligence and outlook on life seemed to shine brightly, even if he did feel a little bit typecast from the many years that he played the iconic role of Spock.

There's really not much more that I can really say about Leonard Nimoy that hasn't already been said by millions of fans all over the world, so I will just say that while I will miss him, he will somehow always be a part of the world long after his passing.  I think that there are very few people who make an indelible mark on the planet, and somehow, I believe Leonard Nimoy has done exactly that.

So, I thought that I would take this opportunity to dedicate today's blog entry to Leonard Nimoy's memory.  A man who lived long and prospered every step of the way.

And as a special presentation of this blog, I thought that I would see if I could find out some interesting facts about Leonard Nimoy.  Facts that really had nothing to do with his iconic role of "Star Trek".  Yes, his portrayal of Spock was his most famous part.  But he did so much more than that over his lifetime, and I think that should also be talked about as well.

So, here are some fun filled (non-Star Trek) facts about the late Leonard Nimoy.

1 - His birthdate was March 26, 1931.

2 - His birthplace was Boston, Massachusetts.

3 - His middle name was Simon.

4 - He stood at just over six feet tall.

5 - He was married twice.

6 - At some point during the 1960s, he owned a pet store in the community of Canoga Park, California.

7 - He directed this music video...

8 - His father owned a barber shop.

9 - In addition to acting, he also dabbled in photography, hosting several exhibitions of his work.

10 - He had two children, a son and a daughter.

11 - He served in the armed forces for nearly two years, receiving an honourable discharge in 1955 with the rank of Staff Sergeant.

12 - Hit #121 on the Billboard Charts in 1967 with this single...

13 - He was only four days younger than William Shatner.

14 - He suffered from permanent "ringing of the ears" since getting too close to a special effects explosion while filming in 1967.

15 - Spoke fluent Hebrew and Yiddish.

16 - Appeared in two different episodes of "The Simpsons" - "Marge vs. The Monorail" and "The Springfield Files".

17 - He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January 1985.

18 - Although he didn't appear in the episode on camera, Nimoy did make a certain "Big Bang Theory" character do something completely unexpected...

19 - Was a vegetarian.

20 - He officially retired from acting in 2010, but briefly made a comeback to support the latest "Star Trek" reboot in 2013.

21 - In one of his first roles - 1952's "Zombies of the Stratosphere", he was paid $500.

22 - He once ran an online store with his granddaughter - shopllap.com

23 - Was one of five actors to appear in both the 1963 and the 1995 versions of "The Outer Limits"

24 - Wrote an autobiography entitled "I Am Not Spock".

25 - He hosted a television show on Nickelodeon entitled "Standby: Lights, Camera, Action" for five years.

26 - His voice appeared in part in the 1988 Information Society single "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)".

27 - He was a licensed private pilot and owned an airplane.

28 - The date of November 14, 2009 was officially declared "Leonard Nimoy Day" by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.

29 - In addition to his acting credits, he also directed quite a few films including "Three Men and a Baby", "Funny About Love", and "Holy Matrimony"

And, sadly, but fittingly...

30 - Leonard Nimoy's final Tweet - published days before he died.