Based on the official [Star Trek] chronology, the series begins 10 years prior to the founding of the United Federation of Planets and 90 years after the events of Star Trek: First Contact. Episode one takes place approximately 115 years prior to the start of [Star Trek] and 213 years before [Star Trek: The Next Generation].
The Vulcan character "Tos" in the premier episode is an in-joke to [Star Trek] fans, as "TOS" is the common abbreviation for [The Original Series].
Clint HowardClint Howard appeared in [Enterprise] playing "Muk" in episode #1.19, {Acquisition}. He also appeared in [Star Trek] playing "Balok" in episode #1.10, {The Corbomite Maneuver} and as a Human character in [Star Trek: Deep Space Nine] playing "Grady" in episode #3.12, {Past Tense: Part 2}.
Creator Rick BermanRick Berman has said that the Suliban were named after the Taliban (they were named long before September 2001).
The Inspection Pod in Episode #1.1, {Broken Bow}, is actually a minor redesign of the cockpit section of Zefram Cochrane's Phoenix from Star Trek: First Contact.
Filming of the pilot episode featured a scene in which Jolene BlalockJolene Blalock, as T'Pol, bared her navel. This required removal of Blalock's navel piercing ring. According to interviews given by Blalock, the ring proved very difficult to remove, and forced Blalock (in full Vulcan make-up) to visit a nearby tattoo-body piercing shop to have it removed.
The three Starfleet officers in the sickbay scene in episode #1.1, {Broken Bow}, are named after the leads in the original [Star Trek]: Commander Williams (Jim FitzpatrickJim Fitzpatrick for William ShatnerWilliam Shatner), Admirl Daniel Leonard (Jim BeaverJim Beaver for Leonard NimoyLeonard Nimoy) and Admiral Maxwell Forrest (Vaughn ArmstrongVaughn Armstrong for DeForest KelleyDeForest Kelley).
The series has established an annual tradition of featuring crew members from the real-life aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in cameo roles. This first happened in # episode #1.24, {Desert Crossing}, and continued in episode #2.24, [{First Flight}]. As a courtesy, advance copies of first-season episodes were sent to the carrier.
During filming of the pilot, veteran [Star Trek] actors Brent SpinerBrent Spiner and Jonathan FrakesJonathan Frakes visited Scott BakulaScott Bakula on the set to give him advice about what to expect while working on the series.
Up to this series, the pilot of each [Star Trek] series after the first included a cameo of a character from the previous one. However, because [Enterprise] takes place 100 years before the original [Star Trek], the cameo was not of a series character, but of Zefram Cochrane (James CromwellJames Cromwell), who appeared in Star Trek: First Contact and in the original series episode #2.9 [{Metamorphosis}] portrayed by Glenn CorbettGlenn Corbett.