The planet Vulcan
The history of the Vulcans encompasses a long journey from the ancient civil wars that nearly destroyed Vulcan, to their embracing of logic through the teachings of Surak.
Origins
According to Vulcan mythology, all creation arose from a "Garden of Eden"-like place known as Sha Ka Ree. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)
One possible scientific explanation for the origin of Vulcans came to light in 2268, with the discovery of Sargon and his people. When Sargon explained that his people had colonized many worlds in the galaxy half a million years ago, Spock theorized that Vulcan might have been such a colony world. According to Spock, "That would tend to explain certain elements of Vulcan prehistory." (TOS: "Return to Tomorrow") In 2369, evidence was discovered which suggested that many of the galaxy's humanoid races were descended from a single humanoid race, the originators of the basic anatomy. Around 4.5 billion years ago, they seeded many worlds with a DNA code to guide evolution to a form resembling their own. As Romulans, a Vulcan offshoot, displayed evidence of these DNA sequences, Vulcans were implied to have originated from those ancient genetic seeds. (TNG: "The Chase")
"Proto-Vulcan humanoids" was an anthropological term that was used for the Bronze Age Mintakans, who maintained a mostly peaceful society and possessed an aptitude for logic. (TNG: "Who Watches The Watchers")
Ancient history
The Vulcan monastery of P'Jem was founded in the 9th century BC
As far as its memory goes, the Vulcan civilization had never been conquered. However, although it went back farther than that of Humans, there were still many gaps in Vulcan prehistory. The Obelisks of ancient Vulcan were lost for many years but were an important archaeological discovery when they were finally excavated. (TOS: "The Immunity Syndrome", "Return to Tomorrow"; VOY: "One Small Step")
Around 2700 BC, Vulcans were barbaric, war-like and "nearly killing themselves off with their own passions." According to Spock, "Vulcan, like Earth, had its aggressive, colonizing period; savage, even by Earth standards." (TOS: "Balance of Terror", "All Our Yesterdays") T'Pol once told Hawkins, "There was a time in the past when we were an extremely violent race. We nearly destroyed ourselves. Paranoia and homicidal rage were common." (ENT: "Impulse")
Some Vulcans began to mentally train themselves to suppress their emotions by the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, though they continued following a polytheistic religion with rompish celebrations and many deities, including gods of war, death, and peace. Although many religious holidays of this time, like Rumarie, ceased to be observed over the following centuries, some rituals were preserved, e.g., the Vulcan wedding ceremony. It remained unchanged from the "time of the beginning" at least until the 23rd century and included the Koon-ut-kal-if-fee, which allowed any betrothed to call a challenge to the death. During "pre-Surak" times, Vulcans also manufactured bracelets. (ENT: "Home"; TOS: "Amok Time"; TNG: "Gambit, Part II"; DS9: "In the Cards"; VOY: "Meld", "Random Thoughts")
By the 9th century BC, Vulcans were capable of space travel and Master Haadok and others had founded the P'Jem monastery on another planetary body. (ENT: "The Andorian Incident") When Vulcans first went into deep space, they did not have to face as many encounters with hostile aliens as Humans did centuries later because there were fewer warp-capable species at that time. (ENT: "Silent Enemy")
Time of Awakening
The detonation of an atomic bomb near Mount Seleya in the Time of Awakening
- For main article, see Time of Awakening.
By the 4th century, Vulcan was tearing itself apart. The Vulcans' rampant emotions, combined with a hostile warrior culture, led to many wars using terrible weapons like atomic bombs and the Stone of Gol. But out of this emerged a philosopher named Surak, who proposed leading a life governed by logic rather than emotion. His teachings quickly spread and were recorded in the Kir'Shara, finally showing Vulcan a path towards peace. Spock once commented the significance of logic for Vulcan history with the words "We were once [...] wildly emotional, often committed to irrationally opposing points of view, leading, of course, to death and destruction. Only the discipline of logic saved my planet from extinction."
Although his katra was saved, Surak himself later died of radiation sickness on Mount Seleya, which eventually became one of the most revered sites on Vulcan. (TOS: "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield", "The Savage Curtain"; TNG: "Gambit, Part II"; ENT: "The Forge", "Awakening", "Kir'Shara")
However, one group still opposed allowing logic to govern their lives. "Those who marched beneath the Raptor's wings," as Surak called them, fought a final war with the rest of Vulcan and were eventually forced to leave the planet, becoming the ancestors of the Debrune and the Romulans. (TOS: "Balance of Terror"; TNG: "Gambit, Part II"; ENT: "Awakening", "Kir'Shara")
According to Q, it was one of Quinn's "self-destructive stunts" that created a misunderstanding which ignited "the hundred year war between the Romulans and the Vulcans." (VOY: "Death Wish")
Return to space
According to Soval, it took Vulcan almost "fifteen hundred years [after the Time of Awakening, i.e., until the 19th century,] to rebuild and travel to the stars." (ENT: "The Forge")
20th and 21st centuries
According to Quark, Vulcans attained warp capability some time after 1947. (DS9: "Little Green Men") By 1957, Vulcans had several warp-capable starship classes in use, such as the D'Vahl-type starship and a type of survey ship. (ENT: "Carbon Creek") After the invention of warp drive, it took Vulcans a hundred years to design an engine capable of breaking the warp 2 barrier. (ENT: "First Flight")
By the early 20th century, Vulcan had made contact with the Tellarites. Vulcans considered Tellarites argumentative, but "generally reliable," and they were known to pass on Vulcan distress calls to the Vulcan High Command. (ENT: "Carbon Creek", "Dead Stop")
Contact with the Andorians also came during the early 20th century. According to the Vulcans, their first contact "seemed promising," "despite their heightened emotions." However, it was soon discovered that "they were duplicitous," wishing to only honor "agreements that didn't conflict with their interests." Soon, a border dispute – dating back to the 1950s and lasting two hundred years – began between the two powers, due to their neighboring home systems and the Vulcans being suspicious towards the Andorians' having a territorial and militaristic nature. The Andorians felt the only thing that kept Vulcan from invading Andoria was "the threat of massive retaliation." (ENT: "Proving Ground")
The launch of Sputnik in 1957, the first artificial Earth satellite, attracted the attention of the Vulcans
By the mid-20th century, Vulcans were observing Earth and the Human civilization that inhabited it, but never made contact because they were deemed too primitive. (ENT: "Carbon Creek"; Star Trek: First Contact) The Vulcans were startled, however, by the launch of the first Human-made artificial satellite into orbit, "Sputnik", in 1957. Surprised that Humans were advancing towards spaceflight so quickly, Vulcan survey ships began making routine flybys through the Sol system to keep an eye on how Humans were developing. These Vulcan watchers limited their observations to remote studies from high orbit. (ENT: "Carbon Creek")
In 2016, a Vulcan starship encountered the Klingons near H'atoria, and was immediately attacked and destroyed. In all subsequent encounters, the Vulcans fired upon the Klingons on sight, earning the respect of the Klingons and paving the way for formal relations. Centuries later, Michael Burnham referred to this policy as the "Vulcan Hello". (DIS: "The Vulcan Hello")
In the early 2050s, the Vulcans dispatched a first contact mission to the Arkonians, who had recently achieved warp capability. However, similar to the initial relations with the Andorians, the Vulcan first contact mission was soon recalled, as the Arkonians proved to be "suspicious and deceitful." Over the following century, Arkonian distrust towards the Vulcans grew into intense hatred. (ENT: "Dawn")
Vulcans were aware of Earth's World War III, but they didn't intervene because they felt it was a local problem they should not get entangled in. (ENT: "Terra Prime") In 2063 however, the Vulcans were the first to make formal contact with the Human race, when a routine scouting mission noticed Zefram Cochrane's first Human warp-speed flight. The survey ship followed Cochrane's vessel back to his base in Bozeman, Montana, to meet the man who had achieved Earth's first faster-than-light travel, and subsequently established formal diplomatic relations with Earth. An alliance that ultimately lasted for centuries was formed between the two worlds, though the Vulcans initially refused to share advanced warp technology with the Humans. (Star Trek: First Contact, ENT: "First Flight") During those years, Vulcans were sometimes seen with distrust, anger, or even violence by Humans. (ENT: "Horizon", "Cogenitor")
In the mid-21st century, the Andorians terraformed a class D planetoid which they named Weytahn, lying at a strategic position on the frontier between the Andorian and the Vulcan systems. The Andorians refused to allow the Vulcan High Command to inspect the colony in order to search for possible threats in the form of military installations, provoking the Vulcans to forcibly evacuate the planetoid. Sometime between 2058 and 2063, it was one of V'Lar's first responsibilities to negotiate the first territorial accords between Andoria and Vulcan. In 2097, a treaty was signed in which the Vulcans officially claimed Weytahn, which they named Paan Mokar, and a surveillance satellite was placed in orbit of the planetoid in order to enforce the accord. (ENT: "Fallen Hero", "Cease Fire")
22nd century
Shortly before or in 2104, a Vulcan science vessel surveyed Berengaria VII, reporting it was home to dragon-like reptiles which, according to the report, were over two hundred meters in length and breathed fire. (ENT: "Bound")
By the early 22nd century, Vulcan was engaged in interventionist politics. In 2122, the ruling government of Agaron wanted to forge better relations with Vulcan and asked for assistance in combating local crime, after which the Vulcan Ministry of Security sent 109 surgically altered operatives to the planet to infiltrate various criminal organizations in order to topple them. (ENT: "The Seventh")
The katric ark containing Surak's katra is rediscovered by Syrran
In 2137, Syrran rediscovered a katric ark that contained Surak's katra, which he subsequently became holder of. Syrran moved on to create the Syrranite underground movement around him, with its eventual goal to return Vulcan to the true path of pacifism and logic laid out by Surak. (ENT: "The Forge")
In 2143, a group of V'tosh ka'tur, Vulcans who wished to no longer suppress their emotions, left Vulcan aboard the Vahklas under the command of Captain Tavin. (ENT: "Fusion")
By the 2150s, Vulcan was a regional power in the Alpha Quadrant. (ENT: "Broken Bow", et al.) The Vulcan High Command had rocky relationships with several species such as the Andorians, to whom relations occasionally teetered on the brink of war. (ENT: "The Andorian Incident", et al.) Nevertheless, among the tensest relationships remained that with the Arkonians, who had developed a substantial hatred towards Vulcans since their first contact a century earlier. Arkonian destroyer captains would be wary of any ship that had even a single Vulcan on it. (ENT: "Dawn")
Vulcan had better relationships with Mazar, United Earth, and Coridan. When the Mazarites considered their government entrenched in corruption, they asked the Vulcans for help, who then assigned V'Lar as their ambassador to Mazar. By early 2152, she had collected sufficient evidence against the corrupt officials, and, with the help of Enterprise, returned to Vulcan. (ENT: "Fallen Hero") Although many Humans believed the Vulcans were holding them back from their true technological potential, e.g., during the Warp Five program/NX Project of the 2140s, Vulcan considered Earth one if its most important allies "for over a hundred years." (ENT: "First Flight", "Awakening")
As for their old Andorian adversaries, however, the Vulcan High Command stayed very alert. It maintained a highly sophisticated surveillance station close to Andoria beneath the monastery of P'Jem in order to guarantee the safe "observation" of their "aggressive" neighbor. Using the disguise of an ancient Vulcan monastery, the facility was able to spy on the Andorian population while staying unnoticed. In 2151, Shran, a commander in the Andorian Imperial Guard, unveiled the secret of P'Jem with the help of the crew of the United Earth starship Enterprise, thereby starting Human-Andorian relations and dealing a crippling blow to Vulcan prestige. After the Andorians destroyed the monastery later that year, however, the High Command began blaming Starfleet and Sub-Commander T'Pol, who was serving aboard Enterprise, for the loss of P'Jem. This resulted not only in T'Pol's mother being expelled from the Vulcan Science Academy but also in an impairment of Human-Vulcan relations, including an immediate cessation of joint fleet operations with Starfleet. (ENT: "The Andorian Incident", "Shadows of P'Jem", "Home")
Another hot spot in the cold war between Vulcan and Andoria was Coridan, a class M planet rich in dilithium ore but suffering from a civil war in the 2150s. In this conflict, rebels, backed by the Andorian Imperial Guard in violation of the Tau Ceti Accords, tried to overthrow the chancellor and her corrupt government, who was in turn supported by the Vulcan High Command, since Vulcan tried to maintain its trade partnership with Coridan. (ENT: "Shadows of P'Jem")
In 2152, Enterprise was able to mediate between the Andorians and Vulcans in their dispute over Weytahn
In 2152, a new open conflict arose on Weytahn/Paan Mokar, which was reclaimed by the Andorian Empire after having been deserted for nearly sixty years. With the conflict about to escalate, Shran, who was leading the Andorian invasion forces on the planetoid, requested Captain Jonathan Archer of the Enterprise as a trustworthy mediator in order to negotiate a cease fire. After both sides laid down their arms, Ambassador Soval of Vulcan resumed negotiations with the Andorians. (ENT: "Cease Fire")
Vulcan reformation
Subsequent to the crises of P'Jem and Paan Mokar, the High Command gained more control over civilian affairs. Furthermore, Administrator V'Las of the High Command was also in contact with a deep-cover Romulan operative on Vulcan, who had already infiltrated the Vulcan military at some point before 2149 and was attempting to facilitate a Romulan-Vulcan reunification. Under V'Las' leadership, the High Command persecuted the Syrrannite sect led by Syrran and T'Pau, who claimed that Vulcan no longer followed the true teachings of Surak. Over the centuries following the death of Surak, his teachings had been subject to numerous interpretations and possible revisions, resulting in a loss of much of the original intent. In 2154, V'Las falsely claimed to have proof that the Andorians were developing a weapon based on Xindi technology, and planned to invade Andoria in order to preempt this threat. For this purpose, the High Command secretly massed an attack fleet in the Regulan system, which was located inside Vulcan territory, near their border with the Andorians but outside of Andorian listening posts' range.
As these plans were developing, agents loyal to V'Las bombed Earth's embassy and framed the Syrrannite T'Pau for the act. Jonathan Archer, investigating the Syrrannites, was briefly joined with the katra of Surak, and re-discovered the Kir'Shara, an artifact containing the original writings of Surak. During the course of the investigation, relations between Earth and Vulcan soured to the point that Vulcan ships opened fire on Enterprise to the horror of Minister Kuvak and the Syrrannites.
Administrator V'Las attempts to destroy the Kir'Shara (2154)
After being driven from Vulcan orbit, Ambassador Soval and Commander Tucker warned the Andorians of the planned invasion, but Soval was terribly tortured when the Andorians didn't believe them. Eventually Soval was able to convince Shran of the impending assault and the Vulcan attack fleet lost the element of surprise (see Battle of Andoria). As the battle got underway, Archer and T'Pau brought the Kir'Shara into the High Command's headquarters, justifying the Syrranites' position and enabling Minister Kuvak to challenge V'Las' increasingly illogical behavior that was threatening war with Andor and Earth.
In short order, the attack on Andoria was canceled, V'Las deposed, and the High Command disbanded. V'Las' Romulan contact also departed Vulcan, although he claimed the recent events were but a delay and that the Romulan-Vulcan reunification is just a matter of time. Kuvak and T'Pau formed a new transitional government, which promised to pursue peaceful policies and end its restrictions on Earth's technological development and expansion. T'Pau said it would take years to translate all of the writing, but the discovery of the Kir'Shara transformed Vulcan society, initiating a widespread return to the true teachings of Surak. (ENT: "The Forge", "Awakening", "Kir'Shara")
As of 2154, capital punishment was still existing on Vulcan for a small number of offenses, including treason. (ENT: "Kir'Shara")
The Coalition of Planets and the Federation
- See also: Federation history
In late 2154, Starfleet agreed to assist Andorian and Tellarite diplomats to resolve a long-standing trade dispute between them. This, as well as the prior withdrawal of their deep-cover infiltrator from Vulcan, which was forced by actions of Cpt. Archer and the Enterprise, caused the Romulan Star Empire to become aware of the threat posed by a closer partnership between Vulcan, Earth, and their neighbors. (ENT: "Kir'Shara") The Star Empire now attempted to destabilize the region and thereby precipitated the Babel Crisis, during which a secret mission by the Romulans involved the use of two Romulan drone ships. The Romulan ships were able to camouflage themselves as various other vessels and managed to spread distrust and hostility among local powers around Vulcan. The Romulans nearly succeeded with their plans but Captain Archer of the Enterprise was able to settle the dispute and allied the Vulcans, Andorians, Humans, and Tellarites in their effort to find the drone ships. Due to the recent disbanding of the High Command, many Vulcan vessels no longer had full crew compliments, which is why Minister T'Pau was able to dispatch only 23 vessels. Nevertheless, Archer's newly forged alliance was able to hunt down and destroy the drone ships, thereby altering the result of this Romulan mission to the exact opposite of what it was intended to achieve. (ENT: "Babel One", "United", "The Aenar")
Talks at United Earth Starfleet Headquarters to form a Coalition of Planets in 2155
With the averted escalation of the Babel Crisis, Vulcan, Earth and other worlds realized the value of their joint work and were convening a conference in 2155 to discuss the founding of a Coalition of Planets. The conference was disrupted by a Human isolationist movement called "Terra Prime", which managed to garner short-term support amongst the populace and instigate protests outside the Vulcan Compound - both of which were described as troubling by Soval, the Vulcan representative at the conference. After Terra Prime's activities were ended, Cpt. Archer resumed the conference with a passionate speech for joint exploration, thereby earning the applause of all delegates, including Soval. (ENT: "Demons", "Terra Prime") Several participating species at that conference became welded together in 2156, when the conflict with the Romulan Star Empire escalated into the Earth-Romulan War. A humiliating defeat of the Romulans by an alliance of Vulcan, Earth, Andorian and Tellarite forces at the Battle of Cheron in 2160 effectively ended the war and led to the establishment of the Romulan Neutral Zone between the two power blocs. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II"; TOS: "Balance of Terror")
The founding ceremony of the Federation in San Francisco in 2161
In 2161, one year after the Earth-Romulan War was decided, the old war allies, with the consent of the Vulcan Council, founded the United Federation of Planets in San Francisco, on Earth. (ENT: "Zero Hour", "These Are the Voyages..."; TNG: "The Outcast"; Star Trek)
23rd century
Ambassador Sarek defending Coridan's planned entry into the Federation in 2268
Iloja of Prim, a Cardassian serialist poet active during the Cardassian First Republic in the 23rd century, had to spend an exile on Vulcan, where he met the joined Trill Tobin Dax. (DS9: "Destiny")
In the mid-23rd century, a Vulcan science mission discovered a subspace rupture in the Hanoli system. The Vulcans attempted to seal the rupture with a pulse wave torpedo, but instead caused the rupture to expand exponentially. The entire star system, including the Vulcan mission, was wiped out. (DS9: "If Wishes Were Horses")
By the second half of the 23rd century, some Starfleet vessels had entirely Vulcan crews, e.g., the USS Intrepid, and Vulcans were active members of the Federation. (TOS: "The Immunity Syndrome") Personifying this was Ambassador Sarek, whose quick and logical responses during debates (such as with Tellarite Ambassador Gav) brought him recognition. He was even asked to come out of retirement to represent Vulcan at the Babel Conference in 2268, where his government strongly promoted Coridan's admission to the Federation. Over the following decades, he served as a personal adviser to the Federation President and was involved in the Khitomer Accords. (TOS: "Journey to Babel"; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; TNG: "Sarek") T'Pau, on the other hand, had become the only individual who had ever turned down a seat on the Federation Council by 2267. (TOS: "Amok Time") Vulcan merchants were a common sight in and around Federation space. (TOS: "Errand of Mercy")
In the alternate reality created by Nero's temporal incursion, the planet Vulcan was destroyed in 2258, rendering the Vulcan race an "endangered species." Over the next year, Spock led the survivors in the colonization of New Vulcan. (Star Trek; Star Trek Into Darkness)
On a less than positive light, Ambassador Kamarag called Vulcans the "intellectual puppets of the Federation," while arguing before the Federation Council in 2286. Seven years later, the daughter of the Klingon Chancellor, Azetbur, underlined this posture by calling the Federation a "Homo Sapiens-only club." (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
24th century
Admiral Savar was part of Starfleet Command in 2364
By the 24th century, Vulcan remained one of the principal Federation members, and was deeply involved in all levels of that society. By 2366, the Vulcans had a saying, known to the Federation: "We're here to serve." (TNG: "Sarek"; DS9: "Captive Pursuit") A good example of this attitude is the Treaty of Alliance, which finally established a firm friendship between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, and whose drafting and negotiation during the first half of the century is mainly attributed to Sarek of Vulcan and his son, Spock. (TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise", "Sarek"; DS9: "The Way of the Warrior"; VOY: "Alliances") Vulcans were also highly integrated in the command structure of Starfleet, namely with high-ranking officers like Rear Admirals Savar and Sitak. (TNG: "Conspiracy"; DS9: "Favor the Bold") As had already been the case in the 23rd century, some Starfleet vessels had entirely, or almost entirely, Vulcan crews – for example, the USS Hera and the USS T'Kumbra. (TNG: "Interface"; DS9: "Take Me Out to the Holosuite")
A Romulan warbird destroys a Vulcan Apollo-class transport carrying Romulan soldiers and claiming to be a "peace envoy"
In 2368, a renewed attempt at a Vulcan-Romulan reformation/reunification almost resulted in an invasion of Vulcan. It began when Ambassador Spock went to Romulus because the new Proconsul Neral convinced him to be ready for opening formal relations with Vulcan. However, this form of "cowboy diplomacy" was in no way authorized by the Federation Council or Starfleet. It soon turned out to be a Romulan attempt to gain a foothold within the Federation by using the underground Romulan-Vulcan reunification movement as a cover. The incident culminated in Romulan forces entering Federation space aboard Vulcan Apollo-class transport vessels and moving towards Vulcan under a guise of peace. However, their cover was exposed and the Romulans destroyed their own forces, while they were heading back to Romulan space. (TNG: "Unification I", "Unification II") Despite this setback, Spock stayed on Romulus, continuing to work for a rapprochement between Vulcans and Romulans over the following two decades. (TNG: "Face of the Enemy"; Star Trek)
The captain of the T'Vran which was exploring the Gamma Quadrant in 2369
After the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole in 2369, Vulcans were at the forefront of exploration in the Gamma Quadrant. Upon encountering the Wadi, a Vulcan ship was the first to make formal contact with a civilization from that region of the galaxy. (DS9: "Move Along Home") Vulcan science ships later encountered the Rakhari and found the remains of the Hur'q civilization. (DS9: "Vortex", "The Sword of Kahless")
Unfortunately, the Bajoran wormhole did not only bring scientific possibilities for the Federation and especially Vulcan, but also the Dominion threat. In late 2373, the Dominion War broke out and, during its early months, the Fifth Fleet had to fight Dominion forces near Vulcan. (DS9: "Favor the Bold") When Betazed fell in 2374 it meant a direct threat to Vulcan, a danger which became even more grave as the Dominion began building up its forces on the newly conquered world later that year. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight", "The Reckoning") However, the danger to Vulcan never materialized as the Dominion War ended in late 2375 with the Federation Alliance emerging victorious. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind")
Vulcan scientists preparing to stop the supernova
In 2387, Ambassador Spock's efforts to facilitate an eventual Romulan-Vulcan reunification came to an abrupt end, when Romulus was destroyed by a nearby supernova. Although Spock could not prevent the destruction of Romulus, he attempted to prevent the supernova from spreading further by creating a red matter singularity which, however, also pulled him and the pursuing Romulan mining ship Narada into an alternate reality. (Star Trek)
Timeline
- 2,700 BC: Vulcan civilization of this time is described as barbaric, war-like, aggressive and savage.
- 3rd millennium BC: Vulcans begin to mentally train themselves to suppress their emotions.
- 9th century BC: Master Haadok and others found the P'Jem monastery on another world.
- 4th century: Time of Awakening – As Vulcan is consumed by atomic wars, Surak proposes to embrace logic as a way to peace. Although his katra is saved, he later dies of radiation sickness on Mount Seleya. "Those who march beneath the Raptor's wings," leave the planet, becoming the ancestors of the Debrune and the Romulans.
- 14th century: The religious holiday of Rumarie ceases to be observed on Vulcan.
- 19th century: By this time Vulcan had rebuilt its civilization and returned to interstellar travel.
- Early 20th century: First contact occurs between Vulcans and Andorians. Relations between both species would remain rough over the following two centuries.
- 1957: Vulcans make unofficial first contact with Humans when a Vulcan survey ship, which had been investigating the launch of Sputnik I, crash-lands on Earth.
- 2016: After a Vulcan starship is destroyed by the Klingons, the former react with a strict fire-first-policy, which earns the Vulcans respect and eventually leads to formal diplomatic relations.
- 2050s: Vulcans make first contact with the newly warp-capable Arkonians. Their relationship quickly sours to a point where Arkonians would bear deep hatred towards Vulcans. During this time, the Vulcans are also aware of the Third World War on Earth, but choose not to interfere.
- 2063: Official first contact between Vulcans and Humans takes place after the T'Plana-Hath observes Humanity's first warp flight and then lands in Bozeman, Montana to meet its pilot.
- 2097: After the Vulcan High Command forces its evacuation, a treaty is signed in which the Vulcans officially claim the Andorian planetoid Weytahn. It is renamed Paan Mokar, and a surveillance satellite is placed in orbit in order to enforce the accord.
- 2137: Syrran discovers a katric ark containing the katra of Surak, which he then takes into his own mind.
- 2151: Hidden beneath the monastery of P'Jem, a Vulcan listening post used to spy on their Andorian neighbors is uncovered by the crew of the United Earth starship Enterprise and members of the Andorian Imperial Guard. After a warning and its subsequent evacuation, the installation is destroyed by the Andorians later that year, thereby dealing a severe blow to Vulcan-Andorian relations, which are already tense due to both power's ongoing vying for political influence on the dilithium-rich planet Coridan.
- 2152: Vulcan-Andorian relations heat up further as the Andorian Empire tries to reclaim Weytahn nearly sixty years after it has been deserted. With the help of Captain Jonathan Archer of the Enterprise, Ambassador Soval negotiates a cease fire and both sides resume their negotiations.
- 2154: Vulcan Reformation – Being secretly influenced by the Romulan Star Empire, the Vulcan High Command under Administrator V'Las assumes a very aggressive stance towards the Andorians, with the Weytahn cease fire having been but a ruse to buy time for an invasion of Andoria. V'Las' government also openly persecutes the Syrrannite-sect led by Syrran and T'Pau, who believe Vulcan is no longer following the true, pacifist teachings of Surak. With the help of Surak's katra (temporarily possessed by Cpt. Archer of the Enterprise), the Kir'Shara containing Surak's original writings is rediscovered, immediately causing V'Las to be deposed, the short-lived Battle of Andoria to be aborted, as well as a fundamental adjustment of Vulcan society and policies. T'Pau subsequently forms a new government, which contributes a number of ships to a joint Vulcan-Earth-Tellar-Andoria fleet formed by Cpt. Archer later that year in order to locate two Romulan drone ships and thereby thwarting yet another Romulan attempt to destabilize that region of space.
- 2155: Ambassador Soval participates in talks in San Francisco, Earth, aimed at forming a Coalition of Planets including the Humans, Andorians, Tellarites, and others. Despite terrorist acts by the xenophobic Terra Prime movement, which instigates protests around the Vulcan Compound and tries to drive all non-Humans out of the Sol system, the conference can eventually be resumed.
- 2156-2160: Earth-Romulan War – The conflict with the Romulan Star Empire escalates into open war. A humiliating defeat of the Romulans by an alliance of Vulcan, Tellarite, Andorian, and Earth forces at the Battle of Cheron in 2160 effectively ends the war and leads to the establishment of the Romulan Neutral Zone between the two power blocs.
- 2161: In the aftermath of the Romulan War, Vulcan, Earth, Tellar, and Andoria formalize their alliance by founding the United Federation of Planets in San Francisco, Earth.
- Mid-23rd century: The entire Hanoli system, including a Vulcan science mission, is wiped out when the latter attempted to seal a subspace rupture with a pulse wave torpedo.
- 2268: Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan supports Coridan's entry into the Federation at the Babel Conference.
- 2280s and 2290s: Sarek serves as personal adviser to the Federation President.
- 1st half of 24th century: Sarek and his son Spock are instrumental in negotiating the Treaty of Alliance, establishing a firm partnership between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.
- 2364: Admiral Savar is part of Starfleet Command.
- 2368: In an attempt to facilitate rapprochement between the Vulcans and their Romulan cousins, Spock, son of Sarek, joins the underground Vulcan reunification movement on Romulus. However, what appeared to be an official backing of the movement by the Romulan government turns out to be a ploy to secretly occupy Vulcan with Romulan troops. The plan can be averted, though, and Spock continues to support the reunificationists on Romulus.
- 2369: The Bajoran wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant is (re-)discovered and Vulcan expeditions are at the forefront of its exploration, including the very first initial contact with a civilization from that part of the galaxy.
- 2373-2375: Dominion War – Vulcan has to face recurring threats by Dominion forces, none of which materialize, though.