USPS Bob Hope

USPS issued on 29 May 2009 a commemorative stamp honouring American entertainer, comedian and humanitarian Bob Hope. The ceremony for the release of this .44 cent stamp took place on the USS Midway, and the first day cover  postmark cancellation originated from San Diego, California.

Kazuhiko Sano of Mill Valley, California, worked under the direction of art director Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, to create the stamp image. The image is based on a composite of 1980s photographs of Hope.

Leslie Townes Hope was born on 29 May 1903, in Eltham, England. He moved to the United States when he was only four years old and lived in Cleveland, Ohio, with his parents and six brothers. In 1920, he was granted U.S. citizenship by virtue of his father's naturalisation.

Hope devoted his life to making people laugh from a very early age. He lived over 100 years, had a successful career on stage, radio, television and film for more than seven decades and showed great generosity by giving immeasurable amounts of his time and talent to our men and women in uniform. Even though all of his time spent on military bases around the world was as a civilian, it's significant that he was the first person recognised by the U.S. Congress as an honorary veteran of the United States Armed Forces.

Over his lifetime, Hope acted in over 70 films, authored 14 books, and received five honorary Academy Awards – his career lasted almost 80 years in all.  He holds the Guinness World Record for the most honoured entertainer in history, with more than 2,000.  He received 54 honorary doctorates, the Congressional Gold Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  There have also been several buildings and facilities named in his honor, as well as ships and aircraft.

Hope died from pneumonia at his home in Toluca Lake, California, on 27 July 2003, two months after his 100th birthday.

Source: USPS and Mystic Stamps