Star Trek actor William Shatner, who portrayed the Enterprise's captain James Kirk, had previously called on the vote organisers to add Vulcan and Romulus to the list of names in contention.

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The 68-year-old actor became a worldwide celebrity playing Captain James T Kirk in the cult 60s TV show Star Trek.

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Jules Verne's book was made into an Academy Award-winning movie in 1954 with Kirk Douglas starring as sailor Ned Land and James Mason as Nemo.

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