The oldest ornament on the Geek Tree – and the ornament without which there would be no Ornament-a-Day – is the Shuttlecraft Galileo.
Released in 1992, the Galileo is a string-powered ornament. The ornament’s lighting is simplistic – just the cockpit lights up – but what truly makes it special is the voice of Leonard Nimoy. Triggered by a button, it features Nimoy as Spock wishing folks happy holidays
It’s also the ornament that started it all. My parents got me this ornament when I was in college, starting a tradition that has lasted 27 years, three Geek Trees iterations, and two kids. It’s survived toddlers grabbing for ornaments, four-year-olds who were scared of Chewbacca, and a kitten who thought it was pretty cool to hang out inside the Geek Tree (thankfully, the now-grown cat is content to hang out on the tree skirt these days).
It’s not the prettiest ornament nor the coolest looking one but packs a ton of nostalgia.