| Character from Star Trek The Next Generation played by Patrick Stewart. Captain of both the fifth and sixth Starship to bear the name Enterprise.
Picard was born on the family farm in LaBarre, France, Earth in 2305, the second child of Maurice Picard and Yvette Gessard Picard. Maurice was a tradition-bound French vintner and because of that he was against Jean-Luc joining Starfleet.
Picard's first attempt to gain entry to Starfleet Academy, in 2322 (17), failed. But a year later he got in. He became the only freshman to win the Starfleet Academy marathon on Danula 2.
Shortly after graduating, in 2327, Picard picked a fight with three Nausicaans in the Bonestell Recreation Facility of Starbase Earhart. One of them stabbed Picard through the heart. To save his life it was replaced with an artificial heart.
As a young officer Jean-Luc was briefly involved with future Jenice Manheim.
Picard, surving as a Lieutenant on the Stargazer took command when his Captain was killed. For his actions he was offered command of the Stargazer. Picard commanded the USS Stargazer for 20 years, until, in 2355, it was nearly destroyed by the Ferengi in an unprovoced sneak attack near the Maxia Zeta star system. Some of the crew was saved due to a brilliant move: The Picard Maneuver. The survivers drifted for weeks in a shuttecraft before being rescued. As required by Starfleet procedures Picard was court-martialed but was cleared of all blame. He had been romantically involved with the prosecutor: Philipa Louvois.
Picard got command of the USS Enterprise-D in 2363. He was offered a promotion to Admiral by Admiral Gregory Quinn, who wanted people he could trust around him because he feared an alien invasion. Picard declined because he felt he could serve the Federation better as a starship commander.
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