USPS in 1978 issued a first day cover stamp marking Captain James Cook’s 200th anniversary visits to Hawaii and Alaska in 1778. A two stamp se-tenant was also released. This issue was unique in that one of the stamps was printed vertically and the other printed horizontally. Shown here is his visit to Alaska.
British explorer and navigator Captain James Cook volunteered to search for a Northwest Passage (1776-79) – a way to sail from the northern Atlantic Ocean to the northern Pacific Ocean. During that expedition, Cook and his crew became the first Europeans to set foot in the Hawaiian Islands on 18 January 1778. Cook named Hawaii the “Sandwich Islands,” after the British chief naval minister, the Earl of Sandwich. The Hawaiians believed Cook had divine powers and considered him a great chief. After engaging in friendly trade, Cook left the islands after two weeks.
Cook then sailed north and explored Alaska. His voyage there added an enormous amount of information to the blank spots on the maps of the northern coast. However, large walls of ice forced Cook to leave the area and he returned to Hawaii in November 1778.
Cook’s arrival in Hawaii coincided with an important festival. Many historians speculate that the islanders believed Cook was fulfilling a Hawaiian legend – the return of their “sea god,” Lono. Regardless, the Europeans were welcomed with great hospitality. However, friction soon developed between the crew and the islanders.
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