U.S. #716 was issued on this day in 1932.
On January 25, 1932, the US Post Office Department issued its first stamp honoring the Olympic Games.
1932 marked the third time the Winter Olympic Games were held, and the first time the event was held in the US. The games were held in Lake Placid, a small town in upstate New York that was home to less than 3,000 year-round residents.
U.S. #1832 – Wharton was the second honoree in the Literary Arts series.
Edith Newbold Jones Wharton was born on January 24, 1862, in New York City, New York.
Wharton came from a wealthy family – it’s been said that the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” may have been in reference to her father’s family. After the Civil War, her family traveled Europe extensively, during which time she learned French, German, and Italian.
U.S. #3187m from the Celebrate the Century series.
On January 23, 1986, the first group of musicians was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was the brainchild of businessman, Atlantic Records co-founder, songwriter, and philanthropist Ahmet Ertegun. He, Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, and several record executives established the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation on April 20, 1983.
U.S. #1555 was issued for Griffith’s 100th birthday.
Pioneering filmmaker David Wark Griffith was born on January 22, 1875, in Oldham County, Kentucky.
The son of a Confederate veteran that died when he was 10, Griffith grew up in poverty. He later dropped out of high school to work so he could help support his family. He then began acting in touring companies
U.S. #1802 was issued on Veteran’s Day in 1979 to honor the brave soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War.
On January 21, 1968, one of the most controversial and highly publicized battles of the Vietnam War began at Khe Sanh Combat Base (KSCB) in South Vietnam.
The site of a former French fort, Khe Sanh Combat Base was built by Green Berets in 1964. The Marines eventually expanded and took over Khe Sanh, while the Green Berets built a smaller camp halfway between the base and Laos at Lang Vei.
U.S. #1139 was issued on this day in 1960 in Mount Vernon, Virginia.
On January 20, 1960, the US Post Office Department issued the first stamp in the American Credo Series.
The Post Office Department created the American Credo Series to “re-emphasize the ideals upon which America was founded and to honor those great Americans who wrote or uttered the credos.” The stamps were designed to resemble colonial currency. Also, symbols that relate to the statement are used in the designs, as well as a likeness of the author’s signature. One hundred distinguished Americans chose the individual principles.
