UAR (Egypt) First Anniversary of the Burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque

UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC (Egypt) on 21 August 1970 issued a First Day Cover with two stamps marking the first anniversary of a fire at Al Aqsa Mosque. Many stamps were issued from other countries, including stamps from UAR. Pakistan and one semi-postal from  Yemen was also issued to collect money for  restoration of the mosque.

The Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem was originally built by the fifth Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik (685–705) or his successor al-Walid I (705–715) (or both) as a congregational mosque on the same axis as the Dome of the Rock, a commemorative Islamic monument. Muslims regard the site as the third holiest in Islam, after Mecca and Medina.

On 21 August 1969, a fire was started by a visitor from Australia named Denis Michael Rohan, who initially set fire to the pulpit. The 12th-century minbar of the al-Aqsa Mosque was destroyed in the fire. 

Rohan had hoped that by burning down al-Aqsa Mosque he would hasten the Second Coming of Jesus. Initially, Israelis blamed the fire either on an accident related to ongoing renovations, or to a false flag attack by Palestinian group Fatah. 

Israel subsequently arrested, tried and sentenced  Rohan to a mental institution after it was determined he had a history of mental illness. Eventually he was repatriated to Australia and sent to a mental institution.

The fire at Al-Aqsa was the cause of great anger in the Muslim world, and demonstrations and riots occurred. Muslims blamed Israel for this event. The event has been described as "an act which plunged the Middle East into its worst crisis since the June, 1967, Arab-Israel War", and was a key catalyst for the creation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Source: Wikipedia 

Deutsche Bundespost Munich Olympics 1972

DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST (former West Germany postal service) on 18 August 1972 issued a series of  First Day Cover stamps for various events during  the Summer Olympics held in Munich. The denominations of the stamps were 25+5, 30+10, 40+10, and 70+10 Pfennig, with the additional amounts likely being a surcharge to support the Olympic Games. Three FDC cachets depicted a hammer thrower; the stamps featured postmark cancellations from Bonn, Kiel and Munich.

Shown here are four of the events: long jump, basketball, discus throw, and canoe slalom. 

Tragically the massacre of Israeli athletes by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September overshadowed the awards and records set in this Olympiad.

More FDC stamps of Deutsche Bundespost 1972 Olympics in Munich may be viewed HERE.

Deutsche Bundespost Helene Mayer

DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST on 6 June 1968 issued a First Day Cover of "Olympic Personalities/Athletes", including Helene Mayer. These stamps -- five in total  -- were semi-postals with postage values and surcharges added for cultural donation, or in this case the surtax was used for the Foundation to Promote the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. This FDC is unique in that it appeared on a cachet designated for the 1972 Munich Olympics. The postmark was dated 28 August 1972 with a fencing design.

Helene Julie Mayer (1910 – 1953) was a German-born fencer who won a gold medal at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, and a silver medal at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. 

Mayer has been called the greatest female fencer of all time, and was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the Top 100 Female Athletes of the 20th Century, but her legacy remains clouded. 

The controversy stems from her participation in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. She was the only German athlete of Jewish ancestry permitted to represent Nazi Germany in fencing.

Prior to this, the Nazi Party had rescinded her German citizenship while she was studying in the United States. As countries became aware of Nazi  Germany's discriminatory practices, international participation in the Olympic Games came into question. 

In the United States, sports organisations and trade unions discussed the possibility of boycotting the 1936 Olympic games. In 1933, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) of the United States, which supervised Olympic competitors, voted not to send a team if Jews were to be discriminated against in the German Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) asked for assurances from the Olympic Organising Committee of Berlin that German Jews would not suffer discrimination and would be permitted to try out for the German team. As a concession to  mounting political pressure, the Nazis allowed twenty Jewish athletes to train for the Olympics. Eventually only one was allowed to compete for Germany – Helene Mayer.

While Helene Mayer left little historical record, what is known from her contemporaries is that she did not consider herself Jewish. Her father, Ludwig Karl Mayer, a physician, was Jewish; whereas her mother, lda Anna Bertha (née Becker) was Lutheran. Helene did not appear to identify with either parent. It was said that her primary concern was to be a successful athlete and that preoccupation may have blinded her to the Nazi racism. It was also supposed that Mayer saw Olympic glory as an opportunity to reclaim her German citizenship.

Whatever her reasons, Helene Mayer did represent Germany in the 1936 Olympic Games, placing second, earning the silver medal, and as all German athletes were required to do in Berlin that year, gave the Nazi salute. It should be noted that for all of Hitler’s claims of racial superiority, the gold medal went to the Hungarian Ilona Ela, also half-Jewish.

After the Olympics, she returned to the United States where she studied and taught German and fencing at American universities. She became a nine-time U.S. fencing champion. She received American citizenship in 1941 but returned to Germany in 1952 where she died from breast cancer in 1953.

Source: Centre for Jewish History, Wikipedia 

Deutsche Bundespost Rudolph Harbig

DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST on 6 June 1968 issued a First Day Cover of sports personalities, including Rudolf Waldemar Harbig (1913 – 1944). These stamps -- five in total  -- were semi-postals with postage values and surcharges added for cultural donation, or in this case the surtax (20pf+10pf) was used for the Foundation to Promote the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

Rudolf Harbig was a German middle distance runner best known for the 800 metre world record of 1:46.6 min that he set in Milan in 1939.  Belgian runner Roger Moens eventually would break Harbig's record in 1955 and set a new world record of 1:45.7. Also, in 1939 Harbig set a world record over 400 m on a 500 m-track in Frankfurt in 46.0 sec. In Dresden in 1941 he set a world record over 1000 m in 2:21.5. These records would stand until 1955 as well.

A member of the Nazi party and professional soldier,  holding the rank of Sargent, Harbig was sent to the Eastern Front in 1941 and fought in the Battle of Moscow. During the Soviet Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive against the Wehrmacht Army Group South, he was killed fighting with the 2nd Parachute Division at the Voronezh Front near Kirovohrad, Ukraine in 1944.

USPS "Black Heritage Commemorative Stamp Series"

USPS began in 1974 what is now its longest running series; United States "Black Heritage Commemorative Stamp Series". The series had its roots in a 1975 planning meeting of the Queens County, New York, Bicentennial Committee Present at the meeting was the founder of the Black American Heritage Foundation (BAHF), Clarence L. Irving. Mr. Irving petitioned the U.S. Postal Service to include black Americans in a stamp programme associated with the upcoming Bicentennial of the United States. The proposal received very favorable response. Since then and until now (2024) "Black Heritage" stamps of notable black Americans remains in circulation. Jerry Pinkney designed the initial stamps.  

Shown here is a block of four First Day Cover stamps honouring prominent African Americans: 

- Harriet Tubman (13c stamp issued in 1978)

- Mary McLeod Bethune (22c stamp issued in 1985)

- Whitney Moore Young Jr. (15c stamp issued in 1981) 

- Martin Luther King Jr. (15c stamp issued in 1979). 

Harriet Tubman was the first African American woman honored on a U.S. postage stamp. Born into slavery, she escaped and became a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, helping over 300 slaves to freedom. She also served as a spy and nurse for the Union Army during the Civil War. 

Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) was an influential educator, civil rights activist, and advocate for women's rights. She founded the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls in 1904, which later became Bethune-Cookman University. Bethune also served as an advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on minority affairs, and was the first Black woman to lead a federal agency. 

Whitney Moore Young, Jr. was a moderate civil rights leader who urged African Americans to work within the system. He served as executive director of the National Urban League for 10 years. In 1969, he received the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom.

This stamp honors the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr., Nobel Prize winner and champion of non-violence.  A Baptist minister, King sought equality for all Americans and fought for peaceful solutions to racial issues. He was assassinated in 1968.

Egypt Post 50th anniversary of the October War

EGYPT POST on 6 October 2023 issued a set of four First Day Cover stamps commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. The stamps feature images related to the war, including soldiers, military equipment, and the pyramids, President Annuar Sadat. The text on the stamps is in both Arabic and English, with the Arabic text reading "ذكرى انتصارات أكتوبر" which translates to "Anniversary of the victories of October." The  stamps also show the the Islamic calendar date of 1445. Each stamp carried a face value of 1.60 Egyptian pounds. 

The postcards (maxim cards) featured  four multi-colored, counterfeit-proof offset stamps equipped with QR code technology, enabling  access to interactive knowledge about this occasion.

The Yom Kippur War, also known as the October War or Ramadan War, began on 6 October 1973. It was a surprise attack by a coalition of Arab nations led by Egypt and Syria against Israel.

The war had significant consequences. The Arab world, humiliated by the 1967 defeat, felt psychologically vindicated by its early and late successes in 1973. Meanwhile, Israel, despite battlefield achievements, recognised that future military dominance was uncertain. 

The war served as a direct antecedent of the 1978 Camp David Accords. The impetus for the talks came when United States President Jimmy Carter invited both Sadat and Begin to a summit at Camp David to negotiate a final peace. The talks took place from 5–17 September 1978. Ultimately, the talks succeeded, and Israel and Egypt signed the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty in 1979. Israel subsequently withdrew its troops and settlers from the Sinai, in exchange for normal relations with Egypt and a lasting peace, with the last Israeli troops exiting on 26 April 1982.

United States Post Office Department 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Alexander Hamilton

UNITED STATES POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT on 11 January 1957 issued a First Day Cover  stamp commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Hamilton, the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton was one of the key figures in the early days of the United States. He established most of the fiscal policies of the young nation and helped found the U.S. Mint. Scholars generally regard Hamilton as an astute and intellectually brilliant administrator, politician, and financier who was sometimes impetuous. His ideas are credited with influencing the founding principles of American finance and government.

This maxim card is from 1957 as well and hard to find. FDC postmark originated from New York.

Cambodia Post Apsaras Bas-relief from Angkor Wat

CAMBODIA POST on  12 December 2017 issued a First Day Cover souvenir sheet featuring a bas-relief from Angkor Wat, a temple complex in Cambodia. The classical Khmer architecture  in these stamps depicts Apsaras which are an important motif in the stone bas-reliefs of the Angkorian temples in Cambodia (8th–13th centuries AD). 

English translations of the word "Apsara" include "nymph," "celestial nymph," and "celestial maiden". 

While women and goddesses appear as icons in many ancient and modern societies, the Khmers gave sanctified women dominance over their state temples more consistently and more visibly than any other group.

In harmony with the Indian association of dance with apsaras, Khmer female figures that are dancing or are poised to dance are considered apsaras; female figures, depicted individually or in groups, who are standing still and facing forward in the manner of temple guardians or custodians are called devatas.

Australia Post 'Terra Australis Navigators'

AUSTRALIA POST on 10 April 1985 issued a First Day Cover set of four stamps celebrating the bicentennial of 'Terra Australis Navigators' (1785-1985).

Papua New Guinea Post "Contemporary Art 2006"

PAPUA NEW GUINEA POST on 12 April  2006 issued a First Day Cover set of six stamps called "Contemporary Art 2006", which reflected a period of significant social and political change in Papua New Guinea. The stamps showcased different artworks and had face values of 5t, 80t (two stamps), K3.20, K3.25, and K5.35. This set was part of a series, with similar stamps issued in 2007. 

Australia Post ANZAC Day Postcards

AUSTRALIA POST ON 12 August 2022 issued three First Day Cover stamps to mark ANZAC Day. Typically these stamps reflect themes of military participation and commemoration, but in 2022 the focus was on ephemera, specifically postcards.

World War I (1914–18) coincided with the last years of what was known as the “golden era” of postcards, and the outbreak of war immensely expanded the postcard market. Postcards facilitated a connection between family and those serving on the front. The visuals and written phrases on the cards were often patriotic and nationalistic in nature, though many were also sentimental, which, when combined with the words of the writer, felt much-needed messages of love, longing and encouragement during times of painful separation.

The postcards shown in this issue represent the military divisions through naval, infantry and air service hats worn by the iconic Laughing Kookaburra. The cards, produced by Valentine & Sons Publishing Co. in Australia, were held in the Shirley Jones Collection of Military Postcards, State Library Victoria. While these postcard designs can be seen as patriotic and good humored, they also conveyed the sadness and uncertainty felt by those whose loved ones were serving their country half way across the world and in perilous circumstances.

The Stamps/postcards:

-$1.10 - Naval kookaburra postcard. This postcard featured the Laughing Kookaburra in a naval hat. The postcard heading states, “To the Absent One with Loving Wishes from Home”, with a verse that is filled with hopefulness and pride: “Australia's optimistic bird, Sends to you a loving word, For every sailor holds the key, which makes us rulers of the Sea”.

- $1.10 - Army kookaburra postcard. This army-themed postcard, patriotically titled “To my Comrade O'er the Sea”, sends a message filled with hope for a swift reunification: “I give my laughter plenty of scope, For my heart is full of hope, But I'll double my refrain, When I see you home again”.

- $1.10 - Air Force kookaburra postcard. This kookaburra was pictured wearing an Air Force hat and sent a message of encouragement from parent to son, titled: “Sincerest Wishes from Australia to my Dear Boy on Active Service”. The card states, “I watch your airplane arise, Swiftly to the bright blue skies, And laugh that I may let you know, I wish you well, where-e'er you go”.

Technical specifications:

- Stamp design by Jo Muré, Australia Post Design Studio

- Product design by Jo Muré, Australia Post Design Studio

- Gummed paper by Tullis Russell Red Phos.

- Printer was R

- Printing process used was Offset lithography

- FDI Postmark.orginated from Canberra ACT 2601

Source: Australia Post 

Norfolk Island Radio Australia's 50th anniversary

NORFOLK ISLAND (Australia) on 21 November 1989 issued a set of three First Day Cover stamps commemorating Radio Australia's 50th anniversary (1939-1989). 

The stamps featured: 

41c - Inaugural announcer John Royle 

65c - Radio Australia coverage

$1.10 - Jacko the laughing kookaburra 

Radio Australia opened its broadcasts with the melody "Waltzing Matilda" and the song of the Kookaburra bird, hence the cachet and stamp design. Its programmes targeted the Pacific and Oceania, but we're just as popular throughout the English-speaking world. 

USPS 10th Anniversary of the Peace Corps

USPS on 11 February 1972 issued a First Day Cover  stamp to  commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Peace Corps. This 8-cent stamp in a block set of four featured the Peace Corps logo with an American flag motif and doves, symbolising peace and international cooperation. FDC Postmark cancellation originated from Washington DC.

On 1 March 1961, President John F. Kennedy officially created the Peace Corps when he signed a special executive order. He felt it was a way to counter anti-American sentiment around the world. His brother-in-law, Sargent Shriver, became the organization’s first director. The first Peace Corps volunteers trained at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. That first group left for their first mission in Ghana and Tanzania on 28 August 1961.

Long before Kennedy was president, he endorsed the idea of sending volunteers to other countries to give technical assistance and promote peace. As a congressman in 1951, he supported a plan to send college graduates to the Middle East to give “technical advice and assistance to the underprivileged.”

In 1952, Senator Brien McMahon from Connecticut proposed the creation of an “army” of young Americans to serve as “missionaries of democracy.” 

Nine years later, Kennedy revisited the concept while campaigning for president on 14 October 1960. After a hard day on the campaign trail, Kennedy stopped at the University of Michigan campus to sleep. However, when he arrived he discovered that approximately 10,000 students had assembled to hear the presidential candidate speak. In that 2am speech, Kennedy asked how many of the students would be willing to “serve their country and the cause of peace by living and working in the developing world.” With that simple question, the Peace Corps was born.

Congress later passed the Peace Corps Act in September 1961, authorising the programme that sent men and women “qualified for service abroad and willing to serve” in order to help developing countries meet “their needs for trained manpower.” 

Today, the Peace Corps operates in over 60 countries, with volunteers working in various sectors, including education, health, and community development. 

Source: Mystic Stamps