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Type of site | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Communal |
| Created by |
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| Revenue | Advertising |
| URL | memory-alpha |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Required |
| Launched | December 5, 2003; 22 years ago (2003-12-05) |
Content license | Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0[1] |
Memory Alpha is awiki encyclopedia for topics related to theStar Trek fictional universe. Created by Harry Doddema and Dan Carlson, it uses the wiki model[2] and is hosted byFandom on theMediaWiki software.[3] As of November 2025[update], Memory Alpha contains over 63,000 articles in itsEnglish language edition.[4] The site is also available in several other languages.[5]
In 1995, Dan Carlson created a personalStar Trek starshipdatabase called Starfleet Ship Registry. By 2000, he had expanded the database's scope and renamed it Starfleet Reference Database, including it as one of the five basic sections of his newly-launched websiteThe Gigantic Collection of Star Trek Minutiae.[6]
In the fall of 2003, Harry Doddema proposed the creation of aStar Trek wiki in a post on the Flare Sci-Fi Forums. Carlson was interested in the concept and the two of them went to work. Using Starfleet Reference Database as a framework, they named the project Memory Alpha, after theFederation's central library from theTOS episode "The Lights of Zetar".[7] Memory Alpha officially launched on December 5, 2003, as a section of theStar Trek Minutiae website.[6]
In April 2004, Memory Alpha was launched as its own website. In February 2005, Memory Alpha joinedWikicities (now known as Fandom).[3] By September, it was the largest project on Wikicities and a central hub forTrekkies.[8] That month, Memory Alpha received theEx Astris Excellentia award from Ex Astris Scientia, aStar Trek reference site.[2] The site was featured as theSci-Fi Channel's Site of the Week for the week of October 10.[9]
BloggerWill Richardson called the site "one of the most impressive [wikis] out there."[10] By October 5, 2006, Memory Alpha had reached the 20,000 article mark.[11] On June 20, 2007, Memory Alpha reached 25,000 articles.[12]
In 2007,Entertainment Weekly named Memory Alpha one of the 25 Essential Fansites.[13]Simon Pegg, actor and writer forStar Trek Beyond, used Memory Alpha as a resource in the writing process of the film,[14] even asking the community's founders to name and establish etymology forvokaya, aVulcan mineral that enablesSpock to locateNyota Uhura.[7]Star Trek: Discovery's showrunners have described Memory Alpha as "an amazing resource."[15]
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