This past week was what would have been the late, great Leonard Nimoy’s birthday. The man who made Star Trek’s SpockOpens in a new tab one of the most iconic characters in pop culture would have been 90. Which, in a nice bit of cosmic serendipity, is the day after his co-star William Shatner’s 90th birthday.
In time for that milestone, we learned (via Boing BoingOpens in a new tab) that Boston’s Museum of ScienceOpens in a new tab will soon be the home of a statue in Nimoy’s honor. This announcement came on on March 27, which is officially Leonard Nimoy Day in his home town of Boston. And the statue is a mere three blocks from where he grew up. You can see an artist’s rendering of the Vulcan saluteOpens in a new tab statue right here.
The Museum of Science
The statue will stand at 20-feet-tall, and constructed with illuminated stainless steel. While it won’t have an approximation of Nimoy’s face, it will properly honor the hand gesture he createdOpens in a new tab. Nimoy debuted the salute in the episode “Amok TimeOpens in a new tab.” It’s the first time we ever see Spock return home to Vulcan. The actor based the symbol on a priestly blessing he saw performed as child by a Jewish Kohanim. It represents the Hebrew letter Shin. Nimoy took that memory and weaved it into sci-fi gold.
CBS
In a statement, Leonard’s daughter Julie Nimoy said, “The ‘Live Long and Prosper’ symbol represents a message that my dad believed so strongly in. My dad always loved Boston. And he would be honored knowing that the Museum of Science would be the permanent home to this memorial. The sculpture not only depicts one of the world’s most recognized and loved gestures for peace, tolerance, and diversity, but it will also be a beautiful tribute to my dad’s life and legacy.”
The museum has set up a fundraising pageOpens in a new tab for anyone who want to help contribute to the $1-million cost of the statue.
