I beg to differ
From the journals of Captain James Cook, the greatest sailor, navigator, explorer who ever lived:
30 January 1774
“I whose ambition leads me not only farther than any other man has been before me, but as far as I think it possible for man to go, . . .”
Sound familiar? It’s obvious that Captain James T. (Tiberius) Kirk is based on Captain Cook.
From link below:
“In developing a new pilot episode, called “Where No Man Has Gone Before”, series creator Gene Roddenberry changed the captain’s name to “James Kirk” after rejecting other options like Hannibal, Timber, Flagg and Raintree.[23] The name was inspired by Captain James Cook, whose journal entry “ambition leads me ... farther than any other man has been before me” inspired the episode title.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_T._Kirk
I beg to differ