Leonard Nimoy (Spock) turns 80!

“This is Commander Spock. He is one of our most distinguished graduates. He’s programmed the Kobayashi Maru exam for the last four years.”

Leonard Nimoy heard from NASA Saturday morning. The crew, staff and employees of the space program took a moment to wish the 80 year old actor a wonderful day.

The veteran actor is famous for playing the Vulcan, Spock on  Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek, the original science fiction series. The multi talented Nimo is a writer, photographer, poet and director.

Wenn.com has compiled 10 fascinating facts about Leonard Nimoy‘s achievements.

– Leonard Nimoy has written two autobiographies – I Am Not Spock (1977) and I Am Spock (1995), both in reference to his famous Star Trek character.

– He served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army in the 1950s, alongside actor Ken Berry and famed architect Frank Gehry.

– Leonard Nimoy went on to play an Army sergeant in the 1954 sci-fi film Them!

– The actor has been married twice and is father to two children. His current wife, actress Susan Bay, is a cousin to Transformers director Michael Bay.

– Leonard Nimoy voiced the character of Galvatron in 1986’s The Transformers: The Movie, based on the popular kids’ action figure range and TV show.

– Nimoy worked as a singer following the success of Star Trek, releasing five albums.

– He stepped behind the camera in 1985 to direct a music video for The Bangles. The Going Down To Liverpool promo also featured a brief cameo appearance from the actor, whose son Adam went to college with the band’s lead singer Susanna Hoffs.

– Leonard Nimoy studied photography at the University of California, and in 2000 he announced his retirement from Hollywood to concentrate on his work behind the camera. He later returned to showbusiness.

– Leonard Nimoy is a keen poet and has published many of his works, including a collection called A Lifetime of Love: Poems on the Passages of Life in 2002.

– Leonard Nimoy has remained close friends with William Shatner since their Star Trek days and he acted as best man at Shatner’s third wedding in 1997.