Corals in US waters 26.8.1980

This se-tenant issue of four stamps features corals found in waters of the United States, its territories, and its possessions. The stamps were issued in Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

International Woman’s Year August 26, 1975

The U.N. declared 1975 to be International Women’s Year in order to focus attention on the status of women in the world, to seek improvement in women’s human rights, and to encourage women’s political involvement.

US Bicentennial - Victory at Saratoga – A Turning Point in the Revolution 7.10.1977

Victory at Saratoga – A Turning Point in the Revolution. On October 7, 1777, the British General John Burgoyne led his army in the Second Battle of Freeman’s Farm. General Burgoyne’s defeat 7.10.1977there was the conclusion of a series of empty victories in which British troops took ground, but suffered heavy losses. He decided to retreat, but soon found himself surrounded by the American army commanded by General Horatio Gates. On October 17, 1777, Burgoyne surrendered to Gates. The Americans took nearly 6,000 prisoners and a large supply of arms.

The British surrender at Saratoga (now Schuylerville), New York, marked a major turning point in the war. It showed that the British could be defeated, and that their strategies were failing. This helped to convince France that it was possible to enter the war on the American side.

Thank you Merja.

50th Anniversary of Talking Pictures 1927 6.10.1977

50th Anniversary of Talking Pictures 1927-1977 - Cancellation Date is October 6, 1977 , with Picture of Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer Stamped Envelope with 13 Cent Anninversary Talking Pictures Stamp.

Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was an American singer, film actor, and comedian. At the peak of his career, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer". His performing style was brash and extroverted, and he popularized a large number of songs that benefited from his "shamelessly sentimental, melodramatic approach". Numerous well-known singers were influenced by his music, including Bing Crosby, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart and others. Dylan once referred to him as "somebody whose life I can feel". Broadway critic Gilbert Seldes compared him to the Greek god Pan, claiming that Jolson represented "the concentration of our national health and gaiety".

The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American musical film. The first feature-length motion picture with synchronized sound, its release heralded the commercial ascendance of the "talkies" and the decline of the silent film era. Directed by Alan Crosland and produced by Warner Bros. with its Vitaphone sound-on-disc system, the film, featuring six songs performed by Al Jolson, is based on a play of the same name by Samson Raphaelson, adapted from one of his short stories "The Day of Atonement".

Thank you Merja.

Adolph Simon Ochs 18.9.1976

Adolph Simon Ochs (March 12, 1858 – April 8, 1935) was an American newspaper publisher and former owner of The New York Times and The Chattanooga Times (now the Chattanooga Times Free Press). Ochs was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1982.

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Apollo 17 - 11.12.1972

Apollo 17 was the final mission of the United States' Apollo program, the enterprise that landed the first humans on the Moon. Launched at 12:33 am Eastern Standard Time (EST) on December 7, 1972, with a three-member crew consisting of Commander Eugene Cernan, Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans, andLunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, It was the last use of Apollo hardware for its original mission. After Apollo 17, extra Apollo spacecraft were used in the Skylab and Apollo–Soyuz Test Project programs.

Apollo 17 was the first night launch of a U.S. human spaceflight and the final crewed launch of a Saturn V rocket. It was a "J-type mission," which included a three-day lunar surface stay, extended scientific capability, and the third Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). While Evans remained in lunar orbit above in the Command/Service Module (CSM), Cernan and Schmitt spent just over three days on the lunar surface in theTaurus–Littrow, conducting three periods of extra-vehicular activity, or moonwalks, during which they collected lunar samples and deployed scientific instruments. Cernan, Evans, and Schmitt returned to Earth on December 19 after an approximately 12-day mission.

The decision to land in the Taurus-Littrow valley was made with the primary objectives for Apollo 17 in mind: to sample lunar highland material older than the impact that formed Mare Imbrium and investigating the possibility of relatively young volcanic activity in the same vicinity. Taurus-Littrow was selected with the prospects of finding highland material in the valley's north and south walls and the possibility that several craters in the valley surrounded by dark material could be linked to volcanic activity.

After separating from the Command/Service Module, the Lunar Module Challenger and its crew of two, Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt, adjusted their orbit and began preparations for the descent to Taurus-Littrow. While Cernan and Schmitt prepared for landing, Command Module Pilot Ron Evans remained in orbit to take observations, perform experiments and await the return of his crew-mates a few days later.

Soon after completing their preparations for landing, Cernan and Schmitt began their descent to the Taurus-Littrow valley on the lunar surface. Several minutes after the descent phase was initiated, the Lunar Module pitched over, giving the crew their first look at the landing site during the descent phase and allowing Cernan to guide the spacecraft to a desirable landing target while Schmitt provided data from the flight computer essential for landing. The LM touched down on the lunar surface at 2:55 pm EST on December 11. Shortly thereafter, the two astronauts began re-configuring the LM for their stay on the surface and began preparations for the first moonwalk of the mission, or EVA-1.

Apollo 17 also broke several records set by previous flights, including the longest manned lunar landing flight; the longest total lunar surface extravehicular activities; the largest lunar sample return, and the longest time in lunar orbit. Apollo 17 remains the most recent manned Moon landing and also the last time humans have travelled beyond low Earth orbit.

After separating from the Command/Service Module, the Lunar Module Challenger and its crew of two, Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt, adjusted their orbit and began preparations for the descent to Taurus-Littrow. While Cernan and Schmitt prepared for landing, Command Module Pilot Ron Evans remained in orbit to take observations, perform experiments and await the return of his crew-mates a few days later.

Soon after completing their preparations for landing, Cernan and Schmitt began their descent to the Taurus-Littrow valley on the lunar surface. Several minutes after the descent phase was initiated, the Lunar Module pitched over, giving the crew their first look at the landing site during the descent phase and allowing Cernan to guide the spacecraft to a desirable landing target while Schmitt provided data from the flight computer essential for landing. The LM touched down on the lunar surface at 2:55 pm EST on December 11. Shortly thereafter, the two astronauts began re-configuring the LM for their stay on the surface and began preparations for the first moonwalk of the mission, or EVA-1.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) 1.7.1971

Issued on July 1, 1971, this stamp marked the official beginning of the U.S. Postal Service. Prior to this date, it had been known as the U.S. Post Office. An 8¢ first-class postage stamp depicting Loewy’s logo was released simultaneously all over the country. Customers could obtain free commemorative envelopes at any post office (or create their own), affix the stamp, and have it cancelled as an official souvenir of the occasion. Many philatelists still collect these first day covers of the stamp. There is a special catalogue devoted to them, and cancellations from some of the small rural post offices are quite rare.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) came into being on July 1, 1971 as the result of a four-year reform of the old U.S. Post Office Department. Previously, politicians controlled post office jobs, salaries, and promotions (the postmaster general was usually the sitting president’s former campaign manager). Mounting customer complaints and a 1970 postal workers’ strike, however, demonstrated the need for change. The USPS that emerged from the reform was a semi-independent agency expected to operate like a business and place new emphasis on efficiency.

Postmaster General Winton M. Blount wanted a new corporate seal to replace the ‘horse and rider’ that had been in use since the nineteenth century. Raymond Loewy, a famous industrial artist who had created iconic logos for some of the country’s most successful brands (including Studebaker, Hoover, Exxon, Shell, and International Harvester) was hired to design it. Loewy’s dramatic profile of an eagle about to take flight was more appropriate for an age in which most mail was transported by air.

To celebrate the reform and inaugurate the USPS, President Richard M. Nixon proclaimed July 1 as National Postal Service Day.  

Thank you Merja.

Emily Dickinson 28.8.1971

Born in 1830, Emily Dickinson (1830-86) is believed to have written eight hundred poems during the Civil War era alone. However, she only allowed seven of her poems to be published during her lifetime, and insisted these be published anonymously. Much of her work deals with death and immortality. Dickinson is believed to have written 1,800 poems during her lifetime, yet the first complete collection of her poetry became available for the first time in 1955 with the publication of The Poems of Emily Dickinson.

This 8¢ Emily Dickinson stamp issued on 28.8.1971 at Amherst, MA honours this humble, modest but wonderful person.

Thank you Merja.

San Juan, Puerto Rico 12.9.1971

This 8¢ San Juan stamp commemorates the 450th anniversary of San Juan, Puerto Rico - the oldest continuously inhabited city in America. It was released on 12.9.1971 at San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In 1508, Spanish Explorer Juan Ponce de León established the settlement of Caparra on the south shore of San Juan Bay. A year later, the Caparra settlement was moved to a small island on the north side of the bay and renamed Puerto Rico. Its name was changed to San Juan in 1521, with the entire island taking on the name of Puerto Rico. Due to its prominence on the trade routes, a series of fortifications was built to defend the settlement. Known generally as “El Morro,” the fort withstood attacks by British, French, and Dutch raiders, as well as numerous pirate attacks. The fort still stands today.

The stamp design is based on a woodcut.

Thank you Merja.

Prevent Drug Abuse4.10.1971

U.S. 8¢ Prevent Drug Abuse stamp was issued on 4.10.1971 in Dallas, TX. The Postmaster General Winton M. Blount said at the Prevent Drug Abuse stamp dedication ceremonies, "The stamp... is not, in fact, a commemorative stamp at all. It is, rather a warning, a plea for help and a call to the American people to take every step to lift up those who have fallen under the use of drugs, and to strike down those who profit from the misery of others..."

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CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere) 27.10.1971

U.S. 8¢ CARE stamp commemorates the 25th anniversary of CARE (Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere) that delivered its first packages to Europe on May 11, 1946, in the aftermath of World War II. The program was a joint U.S.-Canadian initiative.

CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere) is a major international humanitarian agency delivering broad-spectrum emergency relief and long-term international development projects. Founded in 1945, CARE is nonsectarian, non-partisan, and non-governmental. It is one of the largest and oldest humanitarian aid organizations focused on fighting global poverty. In 2011, CARE reported working in 84 countries, supporting 1015 poverty-fighting projects, and reaching over 122 million people.

CARE's programmes in the developing world address a broad range of topics including emergency response, food security, water and sanitation, economic development, climate change, agriculture, education, and health. CARE also advocates at the local, national, and international levels for policy change and the rights of poor people. Within each of these areas, CARE focuses particularly on empowering and meeting the needs of women and on promoting gender equality.

CARE International is a confederation of twelve CARE National Members and two Affiliate Members, each of which is registered as an autonomous non-profit non-governmental organization in the country. The twelve CARE National Members are: CARE Australia, CARE Canada, CARE Danmark, CARE Deutschland-Luxembourg, CARE France, CARE International Japan, CARE Nederland, CARE Norge, CARE Österreich, Raks Thai Foundation (CARE Thailand), CARE International UK, and CARE USA. The two CARE Affiliate Members are CARE India and CARE Peru.

Thank you Merja.

White House Conference on Aging

The White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) is a once-a-decade conference sponsored by the Executive Office of the President of the United States which makes policy.

recommendations to the president and Congress regarding the aged. The first of its kind, the goals of the conference are to promote the dignity, health and economic security of older Americans. It has been claimed that it is perhaps the best-known White House conference. The Conference is held once a decade, with the most recent conference held in 2005, in preparation for the retirement of the baby boomer generation.

In 1950, President Harry S Truman ordered the Federal Security Agency to hold a national conference on aging. The purpose was to assess the policy challenges posed by a changing populace, particularly in light of numerous changes in federal entitlement programs (such as Social Security) that had been enacted during the previous 20 years. Social Security's goal was to assist those in need of financial assistance such as the poor, elderly, physically disabled or mentally ill.

The 4,000 attendees at the 1971 conference (which this first day of issue cover honours) recommended more than 193 actions, some of which led directly to the founding of the Senate Special Committee on Aging and the Federal Council on Aging.

Thank you Merja for this special embossed stamped cover.

Salem Poor 25.3.1975

U.S. 1975 10¢ Salem Poor Contributors to the Cause Series stamp was issued at Cambridge, Massachusetts on 25.3.1975. It was the second stamp in the Contributors to the Cause Series and honours Salem Poor.

Poor was a celebrated African-American soldier who fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Fourteen officers signed a commendation citing him for bravery. Salem Poor (1747–1802) was an African-American slave who purchased his freedom, became a soldier, and rose to fame as a war hero during the American Revolutionary War.

Poor was born in 1747 into slavery on a farm in Andover, Massachusetts owned by John Poor and his son John Poor Jr. He bought his freedom on July 10, 1769 from John Poor Jr. for £27, a year's salary for an average working man at the time.

In May 1775, Poor enlisted in the militia, serving under Captain Benjamin Ames in Colonel James Frye's regiment, opposing the British troops occupying besieged Boston. He is best remembered today for his actions during the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, where he is credited with mortally wounding British Lieutenant Colonel James Abercrombie.

Poor's valor and gallantry at the Battle of Bunker Hill prompted 14 officers, including Colonel William Prescott, to cite him for heroism and petition the General Court of Massachusetts with the following statement:

“The Reward due to so great and Distinguished a Character. The Subscribers beg leave to Report to your Honourable. House (Which We do in justice to the Character of so Brave a man) that under Our Own observation, we declare that A Negro Man Called Salem Poor of Col. Fryes Regiment, Capt. Ames. Company in the late Battle of Charleston, behaved like an Experienced Officer, as Well as an Excellent Soldier, to Set forth Particulars of his Conduct would be Tedious, We Would Only beg leave to say in the Person of this Negro Centres a Brave & gallant Soldier”.

On July 10, 1775, George Washington ended the recruitment of African Americans. On November 12, he issued orders prohibiting all black men from serving in the Continental Army. (Despite the ban on recruitment, those who had already been serving for some time were allowed to stay until this point.) On hearing of this, Lord Dunmore, who at the time was Governor of Virginia, offered freedom to all slaves willing to serve with the British. Washington, sensing the disaster that would almost surely result, immediately changed his position, at once ordering all recruiters to enlist any black men who wanted to fight. Poor immediately re-enlisted in the militia and fought with the Patriot forces until March 20, 1780, when he was apparently discharged. He is known to have retreated to the winter camp at Valley Forge and fought in the Battle of White Plains.

Thank you Merja for this fine cover.

The Battle of Lexington and Concord 19.4.1975

The US 1975 10¢ Lexington-Concord stamp was issued on 19.4.1975 at Lexington, MA to commemorate The Battle of Lexington and Concord. The stamp portrays a painting titled “Lexington & Concord” by Henry Sandham.

The battles of Lexington and Concord were fought in the state of Massachusetts in April 1775. They were the first military engagements of the American Revolution. Due to unrest in the American colonies, British General Thomas Gage received orders to use force against the defiant colonials. Consequently, Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith led a British column from Boston to seize the gunpowder of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress at Concord. On the morning of April 19, 1775, Smith’s redcoats scattered a company of local militiamen at Lexington. Several militiamen were killed by unauthorized fire.

When Lieutenant Smith arrived at Concord he was only able to find a partial store of the gunpowder – Paul Revere and his associates had brought news of his mission to the local militia. As the British marched back to Boston, they were assaulted by Massachusetts militiamen, who inflicted 273 casualties.

The U.S. Bicentennial was a series of celebrations during the mid-1970s that commemorated the historic events leading to America’s independence from Great Britain. The official events began on April 1, 1975, when the American Freedom Train departed Delaware to begin a 21-month, 25,338-mile tour of the 48 contiguous states. For more than a year, a wave of patriotism swept the nation as elaborate firework displays lit up skies across the U.S., an international fleet of tall-mast sailing ships gathered in New York City and Boston, and Queen Elizabeth made a state visit. The celebration culminated on July 4, 1976, with the 200th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. 

Thank you Merja.

Paul L Dunbar 1.5.1975

U.S. 1975 10¢ Paul L. Dunbar stamp shows Paul Laurence Dunbar (June 27, 1872 – February 9, 1906), an American writer and poet. Dunbar was the son of an escaped slave.  His writing greatly contributed to a more sensitive understanding of African Americans.Much of his popular work in his lifetime used a Negro dialect, which helped him become one of the first nationally-accepted African-American writers. Much of his writing, however, does not use dialect; these traditional poems have become of greater interest to scholars.

Thank you Merja.

1975 International Woman’s Year 26.8.1975

The U.N. declared 1975 to be International Women’s Year in order to focus attention on the status of women in the world, to seek improvement in women’s human rights, and to encourage women’s political involvement.

The 1975 10¢ International Woman’s Year was issued on 26.8.1975 at Seneca Falls, NY to commemorate this important event.

Thank you Merja.

Seafaring Tradition 13.10.1975

Carl Schurz (1829–1906), a German-born U.S. senator during his speech on April 18, 1859, at Boston, Massachusetts said:

 “Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands. But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny”.

It was to celebrate this seafaring tradition that the USPS in 1975 issued this embossed 10c Seafaring Tradition Bicentennial Era Envelope.

Thank you Merja.

100th anniversary of the American Chemical Society 6.4.1976

The 1976 13¢ Chemistry Centenary stamp was issued in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the American Chemical Society. It was issued on6.4.1976 at New York, NY.

 

The American Chemical Society was founded on April 6, 1876. Chemistry is the scientific study of substances, how they behave and change under different conditions, and how they interact. The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 163,000 members at all degree levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical engineering, and related fields. It is the world's largest scientific society and one of the leading sources of authoritative scientific information.

The ACS is a non-profit organization. The ACS holds national meetings twice a year covering the complete field of chemistry and also holds dozens of smaller conferences in specific fields. Its publications division produces dozens of scholarly journals including the prestigious Journal of the American Chemical Society. The primary source of income of the ACS is the Chemical Abstracts Service and 38 peer-reviewed publications. Chemical & Engineering News is the weekly news magazine published by the American Chemical Society and is sent to all members. The ACS membership is organized into 187 geographical Local Sections and 33 Technical Divisions.

Thank you Merja.

Mariner 10 space project 4.4.1975

This impressive stamp commemorates the Mariner 10 space project. Mariner 10 swung within 3,600 miles of Venus in 1974.  Afterward, it made the first near examination ever of Mercury, the smallest planet. The stamp was released on 4.5.1975 at Pasadena, California.

Mariner 10 was an American robotic space probe launched by NASA on November 3, 1973, to fly by the planets Mercury and Venus. Mariner 10 was launched approximately two years after Mariner 9 and was the last spacecraft in the Mariner program (Mariner 11 and 12 were allocated to the Voyager program and redesignated Voyager 1 and Voyager 2).

The mission objectives were to measure Mercury's environment, atmosphere, surface, and body characteristics and to make similar investigations of Venus. Secondary objectives were to perform experiments in the interplanetary medium and to obtain experience with a dual-planet gravity assist mission. Mariner 10's science team was led by Bruce C. Murray at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Thank you Merja.

Peter Francisco the Virginia Giant 25.3.1975

Last in the Contributors to the Cause Series, Francisco is remembered for his incredible bravery and strength. He is said to have brandished a five-foot broadsword. He is shown on this stamp carrying a heavy cannon, weighing 1,000 pounds, at the Battle of Camden, where he saved the life of his commander. This stamp was issued at Greensboro, North Carolina on 25.3.1975.

Peter Francisco (c. 1760 – January 16, 1831), known variously as the "Virginia Giant" or the "Giant of the Revolution" (and occasionally as the "Virginia Hercules"), was an American patriot and soldier in the American Revolutionary War.

Peter was soon taken in by the judge Anthony Winston of Buckingham County, Virginia, an uncle of Patrick Henry. Francisco lived with Winston and his family until the beginning of the American Revolution and was tutored by them. When he was old enough to work, he was apprenticed as a blacksmith, a profession chosen because of his massive size and strength (he grew to be six foot 8, or 203 centimeters, and weighed some 260 pounds, or 118 kilograms, especially large at the time). He was well known as the Virginian Hercules or the Virginia Giant.

At the age of 16, Francisco joined the 10th Virginia Regiment in 1777, and soon gained notoriety for his size and strength. He fought with distinction at numerous engagements, including the Battle of Brandywine in September. He fought a few skirmishes under Colonel Morgan, before transferring to the regiment of Colonel Mayo of Powhatan. In October, Francisco rejoined his regiment and fought in the Battle of Germantown, and also appeared with the troops at Fort Mifflin on Port Island in the Delaware River. Francisco was hospitalized at Valley Forge for two weeks following these skirmishes. On June 28, 1778, he fought at Monmouth Court House, New Jersey, where a musket ball tore through his right thigh. He never fully recovered from this wound, but fought at Cowpens and other battles.

·         1975, Francisco was commemorated on a stamp by the US Postal Service in its "Contributors to the Cause" Bicentennial series.

·         A park in the Iron bound section of Newark, New Jersey, where most of the population is ethnic Portuguese, was named for him. The community also erected a monument to Francisco there.

·         His farmhouse, Locust Grove, still stands outside the town of Buckingham.

·         One of his swords (though not the special broadsword commissioned for him by General Washington) is displayed in the Buckingham County Historical Museum.

·         Peter Francisco Square, marked by a monument honouring his life and service, was named at the corner of Hill Street and Mill Street inNew Bedford, Massachusetts, which has a large ethnic Portuguese community. The monument includes a Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) medallion of honour.

·         The state of Virginia has named March 15 as Peter Francisco Day in his honour.

 Thank you Merja for this nice historical fdc.