August 2016

This Day in History… August 8, 1929

Posted on August 8, 2016 by MysticStamp

Graf Zeppelin Begins Round-The-World Journey From New Jersey 

U.S. #C13-15 – Airmail stamps issued for the 1930 flight.

On August 8, 1929, the Graf Zeppelin departed the airfield in Lakehurst, New Jersey, to return 21 days later.

The Graf Zeppelin dirigible was named after its designer – Count (“Graf” in German) Ferdinand von Zeppelin. An aluminum-framed, lighter-than-air craft, the Graf made its first dramatic trans-Atlantic voyage in 1928. That voyage saw three crewmembers dangling from the outside of the massive ship, trying to make crucial repairs during a raging storm in the mid-Atlantic! That first trip was riddled with danger, but it ended successfully and those that followed were smoother.

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This Day in History… August 7, 1927

Posted on August 7, 2016 by MysticStamp

Peace Bridge Dedicated

U.S. #1721 was issued for the 50th anniversary of the bridge.

On August 7, 1927, the Peace Bridge linking the U.S. and Canada was dedicated by representatives from both nations and the United Kingdom.

In the 1800s, ferries frequently crossed the Upper Niagara River between Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York. However, too many boats at once create a bottleneck and strong currents and ice made passage dangerous during several months of the year. The Railway Bridge opened in 1873 to make this route safer.

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This Day in History… August 6, 1911

Posted on August 6, 2016 by MysticStamp

Happy Birthday Lucille Ball 

U.S. #3523 – Lucy was the 7th honoree in the Legends of Hollywood series.

Lucille Ball was born on August 6, 1911, in Jamestown, New York.

The daughter of a Bell Telephone Company lineman, Lucy and her family moved frequently when she was a child, spending time in Anaconda, Montana, and Trenton, New Jersey. When her father died in 1915, the family moved to Celoron, New York to live with her grandparents.

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This Day in History… August 5, 1864

Posted on August 5, 2016 by MysticStamp

Battle of Mobile Bay Begins

U.S. #4911 reproduces a painting by Julian Oliver Davidson published in 1886.

On August 5, 1864, Admiral David Farragut led a successful naval attack that led to a Union victory at Mobile Bay, Alabama.

Mobile Bay was the last important harbor held by the Confederacy. It was deep enough for ocean-going vessels to navigate, and three forts protected the opening. The city of Mobile, at the head of the bay, was the center of blockade running in the Gulf of Mexico, which continued in spite of efforts by the Union to stop it. In August 1864, the Union’s Rear Admiral David Farragut was determined to take control of the bay and put an end to the blockade-runners.

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This Day in History… August 4, 1961

Posted on August 4, 2016 by MysticStamp

Happy Birthday President Obama 

Item #M10305 – The first stamps issued to honor Obama’s 2008 election.

Barack Hussein Obama II was born August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, was a student from Kansas and his father, Barack Obama, Sr., was a foreign exchange student from Nyanza Province, Kenya. Barack’s parents separated when he was two and divorced the following year.

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Posted in August 2016, This Day in History | 48 Comments

This Day in History… August 3, 1795

Posted on August 3, 2016 by MysticStamp

Treaty of Greenville 

U.S. #1018 was issued for Ohio’s 150th anniversary.

On August 3, 1795, the United States and a group of Native American tribes (known as the Western Confederacy) signed the Treaty of Greenville, establishing the boundary between American and Native American territory.

The United States gained title to the massive Northwest Territory from the British after the Revolutionary War. However, there were over 45,000 Native Americans living in the territory at that time. And the British maintained their forts while supplying and encouraging the Native Americans to prevent American settlement.

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Posted in August 2016, This Day in History | 3 Comments