She died of “natural causes”, her son Kyle Johnson said on the actress’s official Facebook page. Nichols was part of the legendary first crew of “Star Trek”, led by William Shatner, also known as Captain Kirk.
Nichols made history in the American television series. When the black woman kissed her colleague William Shatner, Captain Kirk, in the role of Lieutenant Uhura in 1968, it was the first kiss between a black woman and a white man in the history of American television. Nichols had been struggling with health issues for a long time. In 2015 she suffered a stroke.
Star Trek actor James Doohan, also known as Scotty, died in 2007. His ashes were transported by a rocket into space. Leonard Nimoy, aka “Spock,” died in 2015. Still active are Shatner, 91, who starred in last year’s sitcom Senior Moment, and George Takei, aka Hikaru Sulu. The openly gay, ultra-liberal star posts daily on social media at age 85, appearing as a vocal anti-Trump and minority advocate.