SYD KRONISH | Stamps Issues show U.S. history

The vivid history of the United States passes gloriously in review each year through its postage stamps.
Beginning with the first U.S. stamps issued in 1847, we've seen the most important people, places and events come alive in colorful stamps.
From the great founding fathers of our nation to the more recent accomplishments of the American space program, these images provide a pictorial history in progress.
The first stamps in 1847 were the 5-cent Benjamin Franklin and 10-cent George Washington adhesives. Since that time, stamps depicting these two famous figures have appeared frequently.
In 1947, to celebrate the centennial of the first stamps, U.S. postal officials released a 15-cent special souvenir sheet which featured reproductions of the originals.
History was hailed in 1992 for the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' first voyage to the New World. Four commemorative stamps were issued honoring the historic voyage. This was part of a joint issuance with Italy.
Another historic landing was commemorated in 1920 for the tercentenary of the Pilgrims' arriving at Plymouth Rock.
Other ideas
Children got involved in stamp designs, too. In 2000, the U.S. Postal Service held "Stampin' the Future" -- a youth stamp design contest for youngsters 8 to 12 based on their visions of the 21st century.
Stamps with space themes have been hot items for collectors -- probably the most popular, according to the Postal Service. These stamps pay tribute to the pioneering spirit of America today. They provide a colorful record of U.S. space accomplishments and offer a vision into the future.
Since 1960, there have been more than 65 stamps dedicated to space achievements. We have seen stamps for Project Mercury, Robert H. Goddard, Gemini 4, Apollo 8, the Moon Landing, Apollo Soyuz, Mars Pathfinder and the Hubble Space Telescope, to mention a few.
We go back farther in time with a pane of stamps in 1997 illustrating "The World of Dinosaurs."
Beside historic ventures, the United States has released stamps for each of the 50 states, sports heroes, movie stars, tributes to our war veterans, art treasures and, of course, love.
Love stamps have become an eagerly awaited part of the commemorative stamp program; they began in 1973. Included are designs featuring doves, lovebirds, hearts in various forms, cherubs and swans.
The best way to obtain some of the old issues is through your local stamp dealer, stamp clubs in your area and philatelic publications listed in your library.