Famous people

Great Britain’s Royal Mail has very recently issued a stamp set in celebration of its home-grown film industry. It features six classic British films that have enjoyed worldwide success since the Second World War.

On June 26, 1963, President John F. Kennedy of the United States made a speech in Berlin. One that became notable partly because of the few German words that Kennedy used during the speech: “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am…

On February 12, 2014, the United States issued a stamp with a picture of the head of the former American President, Abraham Lincoln (b.1809-d.1865). This striking head belongs to the famous 6-metre-high marble statue in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington…

The U.S. Postal Service® is proud to honor the life of Harvey Milk, a visionary leader who became an iconic figure in the struggle for gay civil rights. In 1977, Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors,…

Stamps are a great way to illustrate various historical events. The significance of  some of these major events is often equalled by  the amount of stamp issues related to it. Let’s have a look at some of the historical events…

He is a hero in his home country and second-highest goalscorer for the national football team and now Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimović will be the face most postmen, mail senders and recipients will frequently see in his homeland.

During Postex, I saw on display by a stamp dealer an envelope on which was stamped a very familiar picture for a Dutchman: the statue of the Docker in Amsterdam. Why would you find such an image on an envelope…

on March the 13th, the United States Postal Service released a new Forever stamp honoring the late ’60s rock guitarist as part of its Music Icons series.  Hendrix is considered to be one of the most influential guitarplayers who ever…

Earlier in March this year, British politician Tony Benn passed away, aged 88. Benn served as Postmaster General in the Labour Party government of Prime Minister Harold Wilson (1964-66) and was instrumental in establishing the National Postal Museum, which closed…

On our forum we received a good question from a reader, who asked for information about famous people known to be stamp collectors. This gave us the idea of producing a ‘Top Ten’ of famous collectors . After some research…

On 15 December 2013, following a period of mourning, the world said its final goodbyes to South Africa’s global icon, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Watched by millions of viewers on television screens throughout the world, Madiba was laid to rest during…

“Unbought and Unbossed.” That was the slogan of maverick politician Shirley Chisholm, who shattered barriers, spoke her mind, stood up for the disadvantaged, and in 1968 became the first black woman ever elected to Congress. The Shirley Chisolm Stamp is…

Today, 55 years ago, was the day of the fatal plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. The plane crash took the life of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, the pilot Roger Peterson and The Big Bopper. Buddy Holly set the template…

This 1 Franc carmine tête-bêche pair is one of the great rarities of French philately and is part of the British Library’s incredible permanently-exhibited stamp collection. Louis Napoleon became Emperor Napoleon III in 1852 and his head appears on the…

On this day in 1931, Thomas Edison submitted his last patent, a patent for a device with which you can hold an article to be electroplated. The first great invention developed by Edison in Menlo Park was the tin foil…

Many countries issue stamps annually featuring famous people. This is a very popular topic for many philatelists.