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human
[star trek] What exactly happened on earth that brought on the federation (potential spoilers)

I am not a trekkie, but I heard there were multiple wars, Khan was a warlord... then there was some kind of drug-induced gene-modified future soldier program. What lead to the Federation? Was there WW3?
gpt
Cliff notes version?

* 1985-1999 - The Eugenics Wars, a series of limited proxie conflicts fought all over the world by dozens of nations on earth, manipulated from behind the scenes by Genetically Engineered Superhumans, Khan is the greatest of them, but he disappears with 72 others before they can be apprehended.

* 2010-2040 - A period of extreme inequality, eventually, the poor are herded into the equivalent of ghettos, the period ends when the Bell Riots highlight conditions within them and reforms begin taking shape.

* 2026-2053 - WWIII, traditional combined arms warfare ending with a limited Nuclear engagement, most major cities destroyed, 200 million dead, very few governments survive.

* April 5th 2063 - First Contact, humanity is formally made aware of the existence of extraterrestrial life after Zephram Cochrane invents Warp Drive.

* 2063-2110 - With help from the Vulcans, all major societal ills are banished. Hunger, common diseases, terrestrial war, poverty, inequality, etc.. Gone.

* 2110-2150 - Humanity gradually increases the technological sophistication of their Warp Drive, some Traders begin plyingthe stars in bulk transports going up to Warp 3.

* 2150 - First Contact with the Klingon Empire spurs the launch of Earths first exploration vessel, the Warp-5 capable NX-01 Enterprise.

* 2157-ish - An attempt by the Romulan Star Empire to sow conflict between Earth, Vulcan, Andoria, and Tellar instead results in their mutual cooperation.

From there it gets a bit murky, we know there was an *Earth*-Romulan War, we believe it occurred *after* the four original founding planets of the Federation came together, but *before* they actually formally formed the United Federation of Planets.

* 2161 - The United Federation of Planets is formally formed.