Located in the South Pacific Ocean, the Kingdom of Tonga (Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian sovereign state and archipelago directly south of Samoa and about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. Its 169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited, are divided into three main groups — Vava’u, Ha’apai and Tongatapu — and cover a 500-mile (800-kilometer)-long north-south line. The total surface area … Continue reading Kingdom of Tonga #526 (1982)
Happy Birthday, FDR. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, born on January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park, New York, is in my personal Top 5 of favorite U.S. presidents (others on that list include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy). While he had numerous accomplishments during his 12-year and 42-day administration, what interests me most about Franklin D. Roosevelt is his philatelic activities. Not … Continue reading President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Philatelist
William McKinley Jr. was born on January 29, 1843, in Niles, Ohio, the seventh child of William McKinley Sr. and Nancy (née Allison) McKinley. He was the 25th President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1897 until his assassination in September 1901, six months into his second term. McKinley led the nation to victory in the Spanish–American War, raised protective tariffs to promote … Continue reading William McKinley, 25th President of the United States
On January 28, 1623, Sir Thomas Warner established the first British colony in the Caribbean on the island of Saint Kitts, also known more formally as Saint Christopher Island. Two years later, in 1625, French captain Pierre Belain d’Esnambuc, commanding a 14-gun brigantine with a crew of 40, arrived on the island following a run-in with the Spanish Armada and were allowed to settle on the island. Thus, Saint … Continue reading Thomas Warner and the Caribbean’s First British Colony
On January 27, 1302, Dante Alighieri, simply called Dante, was exiled from Florence. He was a major Italian poet of the Late Middle Ages/Early Renaissance. His Divine Comedy, originally called Comedìa and later christened Divina by Boccaccio, is widely considered the most important poem of the Middle Ages and the greatest literary work in the Italian language. In the late Middle Ages, the majority of poetry … Continue reading The Exile of Dante Alighieri
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on January 26, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip. In present-day Australia, celebrations reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation and … Continue reading Happy Australia Day!
On January 25, 1765, Port Egmont — the first British settlement in the Falkland Islands at the southern tip of South America — was founded. Called Puerto de la Cruzada in Spanish and Poil de la Croisade in French, Port Egmont was located on Saunders Island and was named after the Earl of Egmont. Unaware of the French presence at Port Louis, British Commodore John Byron led an … Continue reading Port Egmont, Falkland Islands
On January 24, 1965, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill KG OM CH TD PCc DL FRS RA died at his London home nine days after suffering a severe stroke. He was 90 years old. He died 70 years to the day after his own father’s death. Churchill was a British statesman, army officer and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to … Continue reading The Death & Funeral of Churchill
A Stamp A Day 