More examples below

July 25, 1909: A French aviator, Louis Blériot, made the first crossing of the English Channel from Calais to Dover in a powered-aircraft, winning a £1,000 prize offered by the London Daily Mail. Piloting his Type XI monoplane at an average of 39 miles per hour, Blériot made the trip of 23.2 miles in just over 35 minutes. National Public Broadcasting in the USA (PBS) has presented a program about the event (it is several years old now, but still well worth a view): http://www.pbs.org/kcet/chasingthesun/innovators/lbleriot.html

The 5¢ Beacon Air Mail Postage-stamp -- July 26, 1928: A new 5¢ airmail rate went into effect August 1, 1928. The purpose of a rate decrease (from 10¢) was to increase the volume of air-shipped mail, thereby increasing the revenue of the private air mail carriers, keeping them in business. Call it the Laffer curve of postage rates. The 5¢ Beacon Air Mail stamp was issued to meet this new rate.

First Day issued: July 26th

The beacon design symbolized the new lighted airways that had been put up across the country, reflecting an awareness of safety, vital if the new air mail service was to keep public support. This stamp was, in effect, advertising for the new air mail service and rates. Extra features that were not found on other stamps such as a bi-colored design and an unusual size has led to a wealth of plate and imprint varieties for philatelists. First Day sales were at the Philatelic Agency in Washington, D.C., but the number of First Day covers are exceedingly scarce. This was perhaps because First Day covers issued on July 26 required two 5¢ stamps to cover the existing 10¢ rate, whereas if the collector were willing to wait a week, the August 1st rate would be 5¢ and only one stamp would be necessary. Sure enough, covers from August 1st, the first day of the new rate, are common.

Error exists ?? My version of what it might look like.

Why was the 26th chosen for issuance instead of the 1st of August when the rates changed ? My guess is that it had something to do with the fact that the Continental Congress established a postal system for the colonies with Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general in Philadelphia on July 26, 1775.
 
The regular snail-mail was still 2¢ in July of 1928 and would not increase to 3¢ until July 6, 1932 during the heart of the hardship and at the height of deflation. Indeed, on July 8, 1932, the stock market fell to its lowest point during the era. The Great Crash, as it was known, had begun in the autumn of 1929, sparking a decade of economic stagnation known as the Great Depression. What a great time for a rate increase of 50%. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jul08.html Beginning in 2008, we have had another increase during hard times; however, the value of our currency has fallen so much, that the change is barely noticeable (in real purchasing power). An additional Resource: HERE.

In 1997 Great Britain issued special stamps for Saints Augustine of Canterbury and Columba of Iona. Royal Mail's Special Stamps Manager, Rosena Robson, said: The stamps celebrate two great saints who had a tremendous influence on shaping the Christian faith in Britain. This year will see a major pilgrimage following those early Christian missions, and it is appropriate that Royal Mail should be joining those celebrations with this Special Stamp issue. Information about the stamps is HERE.

August 23, 1859: The first air mail in the U.S. is carried in a balloon. John Wise and his balloon "the Jupitir" travelled from Lafayette, Indiana, to Crawfordsville, Indiana, carrying 123 letters (and 23 circulars). The intended destination, however was New York City. Unfortunately, the winds were not favorable. The air was still, and the craft had to ascend to 14,000 feet before air currents could propel the balloon. After five hours, Wise had only traveled 30 miles south, not east, and had to touch down in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Nevertheless, the bag of mail eventually made it to New York by train. Never-the-less, in 1959 the United States Postal Service issued a 7 cent stamp commemorating Wise's flight. "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

Le 29 juillet 1805: Alexis de Tocqueville est né à Paris. http://www.herodote.net/histoire04160.htm

« Les nations de nos jours ne sauraient faire que dans leur sein les conditions ne soient pas égales; mais il dépend d'elles que l'égalité les conduise à la servitude ou à la liberté, aux lumières ou à la barbarie, à la prospérité ou aux misères. »

The characteristics of the American journalist consist in an open and coarse appeal to the passions of his readers; he abandons principles to assail the characters of individuals, to track them into private life and disclose all their weaknesses and vices.

The personal opinions of the editors have no weight in the eyes of the public. What they seek in a newspaper is a knowledge of facts, and it is only by altering or distorting those facts that a journalist can contribute to the support of his own views.

The pursuit of wealth generally diverts men of great talents and strong passions from the pursuit of power; and it frequently happens that a man does not undertake to direct the fortunes of the State until he has shown himself incompetent to conduct his own. Quotes from Alexis deTocqueville -- More HERE

Many persons in France think that the violence of the press originates in the instability of the social state, in our political passions and the general feeling of uneasiness that consequently prevails; and it is therefore supposed that as soon as society has resumed a certain degree of composure, the press will abandon its present vehemence. For my own part, I would willingly attribute to these causes the extraordinary ascendancy which the press has acquired over the nation; but I do not think that they exercise much influence on its language. The periodical press appears to me to have passions and instincts of its own, independent of the circumstances in which it is placed; and the present condition of America corroborates this opinion. America is perhaps, at this moment, the country of the whole world that contains the fewest germs of revolution; but the press is not less destructive in its principles there than in France, and it displays the same violence without the same reasons for indignation http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/DETOC/1_ch11.htm

August 24, 79AD: A volcano near today's Italian city of Naples, Mount Vesuvius, erupts and in the process wipes out much of the population of the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The destruction did not occur in one hour or one day. The location of the cities are forgotten until the 19th Century. Today, excavation has revealed the life and times of all stratæ of Roman Society from the first century AD. http://www.vesuvioinrete.it/e_storia.htm
 
September 10th -- Saint Aubert feast day -- Evêque d'Avranches: Saint Aubert, the twelfth known bishop of Avranches, served after the death of Ragentrammus. He was born into a family of considerable means, probably either at Genêts, or at Huisnes (then called Itius). At the end of the prehistoric time period, that site which will become Avranches was inhabited by the Gallic people called the Ambibares (or Abricantes -- people from the Abers).

Pious and friendly, yet a prelate of loneliness, Aubert often withdrew himself to the Isle of Mount-Fall (also often referred to as Mont Tombe), then surrounded by the forest of Scissy It is at Mount-Fall where the Archangel Michel appeared to Aubert, instructing him to build a new church (708AD). and since then the hill has become known as Mount-Saint-Michel. Saint Aubert died in 725, his body buried within the Mount. In 966 a community of Benedictine monks was established upon this solid rock. His body remained over 1000 years on the rock until the French Révolution dispersed his remains; only his head survived with the mark upon it of the Archangel's finger. It is kept in a church at Avranches called Saint-Gervais.

The foundation of the imposing castle at Avranches is from the time of Charlemagne, after his conquest of Brittany. Indeed, Charlemagne is reported to have stayed in Avranches, but it is Norman domination that will transform the region. http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/fr-50-av.html Henri II Plantagenêt (King of England) often stayed at Avranches. It is in front of the gate of its normanesc cathedral (1172) that he made honourable fine for his part in the murder of his friend, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Saint Thomas Becket (December 30, 1172). King and Saint Louis IX, having purchased the title and lands of the Vicomté of Avranches, now owned the city's Norman castle, which too became one of his favorite places. Mont-Saint-Michel stood unconquered during the Hundred Years War.

The known bishops of Avranches, before Aubert were: Leonce, Saint (toward 400), Népus (toward 511), Saint Perpetuates (533-541), Gilles or Egidius (549), Holy Pair (552-565), Holy Sénier (565-570), Holy Sever (570), Léodowald (toward 578), Childoald (630), Fégasse (660) and, as mentioned above, Ragentrammus. http://missel.free.fr/Sanctoral/09/10.php General Patton's tanks delivered the town from the Nazi Occupation on the July 31, 1944, after most of it had been reduced to rubble; never-the-less, four years of fascist occupation had ended.

A Little Switzerland

Liberation of Luxembourg 09/10/1944 The General Patton Memorial Museum in Ettelbruck contains more than 1,000 photographs and documents pertaining to the German invasion in May 1940, the period of occupation of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, and the liberation of the country by American troops in September 1944. Get the inside scoop on military operations in the Ardennes at The National Museum of Military History in Diekirch, which emerged from the Diekirch Historical Museum. The Museum of the Battle of the Bulge (ARDENNES) and the Museum of Art and Handicraft are in Wiltz.

Issued in 1984

September 14, 1758: At the Forks of the Ohio River (at Fort Duquesne later to be called Fort Pitt, in a disputed portion of Penn's Woods), French forces, under command of François-Marie Le Marchand de Lignery, defeat Highlander, Major James Grant's troops on as yet unnamed heights above Fort Duquesne. Almost 300 British Regulars (77th Highland Regiment), Virginians and Pennsylvanians died this day as French-allied native tribes spilled out of Fort Duquesne and swept over the British forces. Many an englishman was taken captive and tortured to death.

For his poor effort Grant gets the hill named for him, and later Grant Street in the City of Pittsburgh, which goes up the Hill. When General Forbes and Colonel Bouquet arrived with the remaining forces on the 25th of November of that year, Fort Duquesne was a smoking ruin as the French had fled. Today, Heinz Field sits on the spot where Native villages once stood and where some of Grant's doomed army met their brutal end above the banks of the Allegheny River. Grant himself, although captured, escaped certain death and had what can best be described as a checkered career thereafter.

September 15, 1927: France issues two stamps to celebrate the reunion of the American members of the French Foreign Legion (Legion Americaine), who fought for France during World War I. For more information see: Edwin W. Morse, America in the War-The Vanguard of American Volunteers in the Fighting Lines and in Humanitarian Service: August, 1914 --April, 1917. New York, Charles Scribner's Sons (1919). More links -are- HERE. All the stamps seen here were issued within a few years of each other and are found at a large Website showing many, many issues: http://pluq59.free.fr/sections.php?op=listarticles&secid=4. Right Click to view a much larger image -- s.v.p.

Among the French troops waiting to assault the German trenches on July 1 was the American poet named Alan Seeger. He had graduated from Harvard in 1910, having spent two years in Greenwich Village before his move to Paris. He thrived in the artistic atmosphere of the Rive Gauche. When the Great War broke, Seeger joined the French Foreign Legion in order to defend the country he had come to love. He did not abandon his poetry. One of his compositions during this period was an eerily prophetic poem entitled Rendezvous with Death: On July 4, 1923, a monument was unveiled in Paris at the Place des États-Unis. It was dedicated to the American volunteers who were killed fighting for France. The statue which crowned it, symbolic of all the American volunteers, portrayed Alan Seeger. Photographs and conversations with Alan's father had guided the sculptor in his effort to make the statue resemble the poet as much as possible. Many dignitaries and a tremendous crowd attended the dedication ceremonies. On the sides of the monument's pedestal were engraved verses from some of Alan Seeger's poems. A wartime comrade remarked, This would have pleased him very much - to know that his words will last forever. http://www.scuttlebuttsmallchow.com/alansee9.html

September 18, 1961: Dag Hammarskjold, Secretary-General of the UN, was killed in a suspicious plane crash in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). He was flying to negotiate a cease-fire in the Congo. Hammarskjold was the son of a Swedish prime minister. In 1953, he was elected to the top UN post and in 1957 was reelected. During his second term, he initiated and directed the United Nation's vigorous role trying to bring peace in the Belgian Congo.

Dag Hammarskjold - UN Leader Memorial	Dag Hammarskjold "Error Stamp"
New York, NY - Oct. 23, 1962 Giori Press - Perf 11 - 200 Subject 121,440,000 issued	Washington, D.C. - Nov. 16, 1962   Giori Press - Perf 11 - 200 Subject  40,270,000 issued

15¢ Independence Hall, Philadelphia Postal Card: America the Beautiful Series 5¢ DC-4 Skymaster: Airmail Envelope First Day Issues of September 25, 1946 & 1989

Considered by many to be the birthplace of the United States of America, the city of Philadelphia remains as rich in culture and charm as when the Quakers first settled here in the 17th century. Founded by William Penn in 1682, Philadelphia soon became a center of religious freedom -- hence its nickname, The City of Brotherly Love. It also became a major hub of colonial American politics, serving as the meeting place for the Second Continental Congress, the one that adopted the Declaration of Independence, as well as the convention that drafted the Bill of Rights. In time, the city played a vital role in the American Industrial Revolution, and because of its highly developed industry was a crucial supplier for Union forces during the Civil War. Independence Hall, original painting by John Benson, is shown on this postal issue -- one of the sites in four cities to be seen in the America the Beautiful series. The original DC-4 was built in 1938 as a requirement for both United and American Airlines. It began test flying in 1938, but when the U.S. entered into World War 2, the production line was commandeered by the military authorities and thus the first 24 C-54's were produced. http://www.ruudleeuw.com/dc4_tec.htm First available in 1942, the aircraft became a cargo workhorse during the conflict.

October 2, 1535: Having landed in Quebec a month ago, Jacques Cartier first saw the site of what is now Montréal and proclaimed What a royal mountain ! From thence came the name of the city. But compare the writeup from the French, who after all were there: Le 2 octobre 1535, Jacques Cartier découvre au confluent du fleuve Saint Laurent et de la rivière des Outaouais une île qu'il baptisera « Mons realis » -- Sur cette île sauvage peuplée de Hurons a été fondée la ville de Montréal -- le 17 mai 1642.

On July 24, 1534, Jacques Cartier had landed in what today is part of the Canadian Maritime Provinces, claiming North America for France. Jacques Cartier while probing for a northern route to Asia visited Labrador, and of it reportedly said: Fit only for wild beasts ... This must be the land God gave to Cain. Between 1541 and 1543, Cartier (on his 3rd voyage) and his superior, Jean-François de La Rocque, Sieur de Roberval (the Huguenot premier Viceroy of Canada) established a settlement of 400 people at Cap Rouge (Charlesbourg-Royal), Québec City (10 kilometers from city centre, near an Iroquois village). The first permanent French colony in the Americas was abandoned on June 6, 1543. Archæologist Yves Chrétien rediscovered Jacques Cartier's long-lost settlement in 2005. The find was first announced August 19, 2006. http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=4978e603-f67e-4784-807d-7f3911c60829&k=27303 See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamps_and_postal_history_of_Canada

October 11, 1779: Casimir Pulaski passed away this date after being mortally wounded in the siege of Savannah, Georgia (October 9th). He served with American forces during the American revolution. Casimir Pulaski fought to defend his native Poland from Imperial Prussian and Russian invaders. Benjamin Franklin lauded Pulaski as famous throughout Europe for his bravery and conduct in defense of the liberties of his country. Pulaski joined General George Washington's staff and immediately made important contributions. He led a critical counterattack at the Battle of Brandywine, earning him a commission as a Brigadier General. In May 1779, General Pulaski's new cavalry division successfully defended the city of Charleston, South Carolina. His contributions earned him the title Father of the American cavalry. For more information on Casimir Pulaski, click HERE. On January 16, 1931, the U.S. Post Office Department issued this commemorative stamp, honoring this Polish patriot. The stamp was first released in Savannah, as well as in eleven American cities with large Polish populations. The stamp came out over a year after the sesquicentennial of his death; however, on the bicentennial of Pulaski's death in 1979, the Postal Service released a postal card showing him on horseback. All told on the American side, the Siege of Savannah claimed the lives of 821 French and 312 American soldiers and sailors. Yes, French casualties were much greater than their allies. This was the first major action in which French forces directly assisted in a battle. In spite of the aid, the Americans could not overcome the strong British forces. The British took Savannah about 10 months earlier, aided by a local guide who helped them obtain the advantage of surprise. The Red Coats kept control of Savannah for three and a half years more. For those of you who have been to Savannah you may have seen the monument to the event atop the bluff overlooking the Riverwalk (where the anchors are at the far east end). A French ship bombarded the English vessels by shooting over Hutchison Island. see http://ourgeorgiahistory.com/wars/Revolution/revolution15.html & http://www.geocities.com/heartland/village/5369/Siege1.htm

October 12, 1492: The Columbus Navigation Homepage -- Examining the History, Navigation, and Landfall of Christopher Columbus: http://www.columbusnavigation.com/

The Special Delivery Stamps of 1944:   Rotary Press - Perf 11 x 10½ - 200 Subject Electric Eye Plates -- http://www.1847usa.com/

E17 - The 13¢ Messenger on Motorcycle October 30, 1944 E18 - The 17¢ Messenger on Motorcycle October 30, 1944 November 2, 2003 -- Un-issued Hepburn: The Hepburn stamp (part of a set of 5 honoring movie stars) was withdrawn at the last moment in 2001 because one of Hepburn's sons objected to the design - possibly because the image showed his mother smoking (She died of cancer in 1993). Germany destroyed all copies of the withdrawn stamps, except for 30 stamps that never returned. A Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman stamp in the original German set was also withdrawn around this time. The issued set substituted stamps depicting Greta Garbo and a reel of film. The other 3 stamps (issued in the set) were for Marilyn Monroe, Jean Gabin and Charlie Chaplin. A 37¢ USA Hepburn stamp (sans cigarette), issued without incident in June 2003, already circulated. Some if not all of the missing 30 Hepburn stamps appear to have been used on domestic mail in late 2003. One can not sure how, as the DM (Deutsche Mark) officially ceased to be legal tender on December 31, 2001. Existing postage stamps in every €uro country remained valid only until June 30, 2002. These two Hepburn 110 pfennig examples passed through the German mail system nearly 18 months after they became invalid. from GlenStephens.com Two copies have been found, one postmarked November 3rd. A leading German stamp auctioneer, Heinrich Köhler, offered a November 2nd cancelled stamp, illustrated nearby, for sale. The stamp had a hefty auction estimate of €20,000 ($A32,275 -- $24,000+US) The €20,000 estimate proved super-conservative. The final invoice price for the stamp was €69,437.60 (which includes a 17% commission and 16% VAT on the commission). That is $A112,056 -- a price level even major 19th Century rarities often fail to realize today. November 22, 1935: The first transpacific airmail flight departed with over 20,000 folks waving good-bye. The China Clipper began its 8,000-mile journey with 110,865 letters on board, piloted by Captain Edwin Musick. The Pan American Martin 130 took off from San Francisco International. Nearly 60 hours later, it landed at Manila in the Philippines Islands. Two other denominations featuring this aircraft may be seen HERE. le 5 novembre 1898 -- Première wireless Xmission: Eugène Ducretet offre une démonstration publique de transmission sans fil avec l’aide de l’ingénieur Ernest Roger. Situé au 3ème étage de la Tour Eiffel, il émet jusqu’au Panthéon, où le message est reçu en morse {code télégraphe}. This successful experiment was to save the Tower that would otherwise have been dismantled, after the 1900 Universal Exhibition. http://www.musee-communication.com/ducretet_gb.html On March 31st in the year 1889, this famous Paris landmark had opened to the dismay of some. At 985 feet high, it was the highest structure in the world until 1930, when a building in NYC was built with a pretty fair view of Lady Liberty, also built by the man who built the Tour Eiffel. À Paris, le 5 novembre 1906: Aujourd'hui, Marie Curie devient professeur à 39 ans. La physicienne française d'origine polonaise Marie Curie devient la première femme professeur à la Sorbonne. Marie Curie succède en fait à son mari, Pierre Curie, mort prématurément au mois d'avril, à la chaire de physique. Elle enseignera tout en continuant ses recherches et recevra son deuxième prix Nobel en 1911. November 6, 1879: Officially, Canada celebrates Thanksgiving Day for the first time. The holiday changed to the week of Armistice Day after World War I, then moved to the second Monday of October in 1957. In an unrelated matter (but near Canada), on this date in 1944, in the State of Washington, the Hanford facility produces Plutonium, the radioactive explosive component in the Nagasaki weapon. Plutonium appears to be at the core of the first nuclear bomb produced by North Korea and exploded in October 2006. December 17, 1903: In Kitty Hawk, North Carolina -- need one say more ??? They were right, flight was possible, and on this day the first man flew 12 seconds. Two brothers, the sons of a Dayton, Ohio bishop (Church of the United Brethren) became well-known in history. Orville Wright made the first powered, controlled and sustained flight. Lying prone at the plane's controls, he flew a distance of 120 feet in 12 seconds. Wilbur ran beside the wing tip (to keep the wing from dragging in the sand) until the craft was airborne. Four sustained flights were made on this day. The 4th flight lasted fifty-nine seconds. The momentous events of that day received little press attention, because the reticent Wright brothers feared their ideas would be stolen by rival aviators. It was not until 1908, after making many refinements to their flying machine, that the Wrights embarked on the series of public demonstrations that finally earned them some worldwide acclaim. For the French view: http://www.herodote.net/histoire12171.htm Oddly enough, on this day in 1969, the U.S. Air Force closed its Project Blue Book investigations by finding no evidence of extraterrestrial spaceships, even though there had been literally thousands of UFO sightings, many remaining unresolved. Vsevolod Mikhailovich Abramovich (August 11, 1890-April 24, 1913), a pioneer aviator of Russian birth, was born in Odessa. He studied at the Charlottenburg technical college and in 1911 he earned a pilot's license. He then worked for the Wright Brothers' German subsidiary, Flugmaschinen Wright, in Johannisthal, and became the chief test pilot. In 1912, Abramovich built his own aircraft, now known as the Abramovich Flyer, based on what he had learned at the Wright factory, and flew it to St Petersburg to participate in a military aircraft competition, sponsored by the Czar (Imperial Russian Air Force). The same year, he set a world altitude record of 2,100 m (6,888 ft) and an endurance record for carrying four passengers for 46 minutes 57 seconds. He was killed well before the Great War, while instructing a student pilot. Interestingly, Vsevolod Mikhailovich Abramovich was a contemporary of Sikorsky. In late 1916, Sikorsky completed a unique four-engine bomber-biplane called Alexander Nevsky, but it was never put into production. Following the October Revolution, Sikorsky emigrated to the United States of America in 1919. February 20, 1915: In San Francisco, President Woodrow Wilson opened the Panama-Pacific International Exposition to memorialize the opening of the Panama Canal. About 300,000 people attended opening-day celebrations. The World Fair featured pavilions with exhibits from 41 nations, 43 states and 3 US territories. A 40-ton instrument (made by the Austin Organs Co. of Hartford, Conn.) with 7,000 pipes played the ÒHallelujah Chorus.Ó After the exposition closed the organ moved to the Civic Auditorium; used for 7 decades until damaged in the 1989 earthquake. Lands at 14:43:02 pm EST It was about 45 years from the time of the Panama Canal's completion until the beginning of space flight by man. It has been almost 50 years since John Glenn's first ride. What will the next similar span bring ??? We've just shut down the Shuttle project and the implications are not stellar. February 24, 1857: The first shipment of perforated postage stamps was received by the U.S. Government. Only imperforate ones had been used previously. As early as March 1855, Postmaster General James Campbell anticipated that high-volume use would render the act of cutting stamps apart with scissors inconvenient to post offices and to the public. In response to seeing examples of British stamps, which had been perforated since 1854, Campbell had his staff investigate the means used to perforate stamps and report on the efficacy and estimated cost of adopting similar methods in the United States. Finally, in February 1857, the first perforated stamp, the 3-cent Type I (Scott Catalog #25), made its appearance (earliest known use was February 28th). Beginning in July 1857, other values were issued with perforations. http://www.siegelauctions.com/enc/1857.htm The picture at the left vividly illustrates the rough quality of the first perforations.   Le dimanche de Pâques du 23-24 avril 1916: Les Irlandais se soulèvent contre le colonisateur britannique. Les Pâques sanglantes de Dublin annoncent l'indépendance de l'Eire, cinq ans plus tard. http://www.teachnet.ie/dhorgan/2004/monday.html -- http://www.elyrics.net/go/u/u2-lyrics/sunday-bloody-sunday-lyrics/ William Butler Yeats (June 13th, 1865 - January 28th, 1939): Easter 1916 *** Too long a sacrifice Can make a stone of the heart. O when may it suffice? That is Heaven's part, our part To murmur name upon name ... *** I wrote it out in a verse -- MacDonagh and MacBride And Connolly and Pearse Now and in time to be Wherever green is worn Are changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty is born. http://www.online-literature.com/yeats/ More Lyric about the Easter Irish Insurrection Take away the blood-stained bandage from off an Irish brow We fought and bled for Ireland and will not shirk it now We have held in her struggle, in answer to her call And because we sought to free her we are placed against a wall http://www.vincentpeters.nl/triskelle/lyrics/bloodstainedbandage.php?index=080.010.020.020 May 13, 1912: The Royal Flying Corps was established in England. It was the predecessor force to the Royal Air Force. Exactly 6 years later the first U.S. airmail stamps, featuring a picture of a bi-plane, were introduced. On some of the 24¢ stamps, the æroplane (a Curtis Jenny) was printed upside down, making them an immediate, valuable collector's item. A few years back, a block of four sold for $4 million. http://www.glenstephens.com/ Igor Sikorsky of Russia flew the first 4-engine aircraft on this date in 1913. Twenty-seven years later Igor Sikorsky unveiled his helicopter invention, which on May 13th 1942 completed the first cross-country flight. On May 13, 1992, astronauts from the Space Shuttle Endeavour captured an off-course communications satellite (Intelsat-6) during the first-ever three-person spacewalk. Two days after the airmail stamps first appeared (1918), The U.S. Post Office and the U.S. Army began regularly scheduled airmail service between Washington and New York through Philadelphia. Lieutenant George L. Boyle, an inexperienced young pilot (U.S. Army Air Corps), tried to make the first flight from Washington, but he got lost, flying south rather than north. The second leg of the Washington-Philadelphia-New York flight, however, arrived in New York on schedule -- without the Washington mail. The distance of the route was 218 miles. One round trip per day was made six times a week. The Army flew the route until August 10, 1918, when the U.S. Post Office Department took over the entire operation with its own contract planes and pilots. June 8, 1872: A penny for your thoughts, is all it costs. US President Grant signed enabling legislation that authorized the penny postal card. Today it costs a few pennies more to write this briefly. The Post Office Department put the penny postal card on sale first on May 12, 1873, in Springfield, Massachusetts, and in other cities a day later. The May 14, 1873, edition of the New York Times reported that New York postal clerks sold 200,000 cards in two and a half hours. In the next six weeks patrons purchased about 31 million cards throughout the Nation. http://www.dailymail.com/static/specialsections/ http://www.dejean.com/salem/asides/postcards/ - Statue of George Washington - The Battle of Braddock's Field Revisited-- July 9, 1930: This was another in the series of stamps during this period of US postal art that had nothing to do with commemorating events surrounding the 150th anniversary of the War of Independence, but rather was, like many stamps, purely of political inspiration. Pennsylvania representative Clyde Kelley, whose bill had provided for air mail transportation to be transferred to the private sector, was a native of Braddock. It so happened that 1930 marked the 175th anniversary of the Battle at Braddock's Field, a battle in which George Washington, then a non-commissioned "colonel" in the British army, ironically lost. The town of Braddock was to hold a large celebration commemorating this "defeat" and it was hoped the stamp would help promote the event. Although Washington and General Braddock, who was mortally wounded in the affair, lost the battle, the event began the stories of Washington's heroism. Braddock got a town named after him and a street in Pittsburgh. Washington, of course, went on to become one of the greatest Americans and father of his country. The stamp shows the statue of Washington, unveiled at Braddock's Field on July 9, 1930, the day the stamp was first released. General Edward Braddock was mortally wounded when French and Indian troops ambushed his force of British regulars and colonial militia, which was on its way to attack France's Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh). Gen. Braddock's troops were decimated at Fort Duquesne, where he refused to accept Washington's advice on frontier style fighting. British Gen'l. Braddock gave his bloody sash to George Washington at Fort Necessity just before he died on July 13th. http://www.virtualology.com/virtualmuseumofnaturalhistory/... >             New: 07/26/2011 -- Current Newsletter