31-January... Launch of Mercury - Redstone 2...

On this day (31-Jan) in the year 1961, NASA launched Mercury - Redstone 2 (MR-2) as a part of its space program Project Mercury, a program to launch first American into Space...   

Before sending people into space, NASA carried out a series of unmanned test flights leading to MR-2... NASA successfully launched the MR-2 with "Ham", the chimpanzee into space...  The success of this mission led to NASA's goal of getting a man in Space...

The stamp features, "Friendship 7", the first manned space capsule flown by John Glenn successfully orbited around the Earth...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Outer Space / Space travel...

(b) Spacecrafts...

(c) Satellites...

(d) Space missions...

30-January... Birth anniversary of Franklin D Roosevelt...

The US President during turbulent eras of American history - the Great depression and Second World War, Franklin D Roosevelt was commemorated by US Postal Administration with the release of a 20-cent postage stamp in the year 1982 to mark his 100th Birth anniversary...

Born on this day (30-Jan) in the year 1882, Roosevelt was a lifelong stamp collector and was more familiar with the tradition of capturing history in postage stamps...  He had a strong belief that stamps had the power to educate, send important messages and shape public opinion...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Head of State...

(b) President's of USA...

(c) Statesmen / Politicians...

(d) Anniversaries...

29-January... Kansas Statehood...

Kansas territory of United States was admitted into the Union on this day (29-Jan) in the year 1861...  Nicknamed as Sunflower State, Kansas was the 34th State to get the Statehood...

US Postal Administration commemorated the 100 years of Kansas Statehood with the release of a 4-cent postage stamp in the year 1961...

The stamp features a State flower, the Sunflower and a family with a covered wagon...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Flowers / Flora...

(b) Sunflower...

(c) Family...

(d) Wagon...

(e) States of US...

(f) Anniversaries...

28-January... Publication of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice...

World's most-loved books among literary scholars and reading public, Pride and Prejudice written by one of the greatest British author Jane Austen was published on this day (28-Jan) in the year 1813...

The 200th anniversary of the publication of the celebrated novel was commemorated by the Royal Mail of Britain with the release of a 1st class postage stamp in the year 2013...

The stamp features characters from the novel Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Books / Novels...

(b) Authors...

(c) Anniversaries...

27-January... Discovery of the Continent of Antarctica...

Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, a Russian Officer in the Imperial Russian Navy, participated in the first Russian circum-navigation expedition which discovered the Continent of Antarctica on this day (27-Jan) in the year 1820...

The cartographer and explorer, Fabian was commemorated by the Estonian Postal Administration with the release of a 8-Estonian kroon postage stamp in the year 2003 to mark his 225th birth anniversary...

Stamp features the wordings "1778 Saaremaa" which represents "1778 Saare county of present day Estonia", place where Fabian was born and "1852 Kroonlinn" which represents "1852 Kroonlinn area of St. Petersburg", city where Fabian died...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Explorers...

(b) Admirals...

(c) Ships...

(d) Map...

(e) Imperial Russian Navy...

(f) Anniversaries...

26-January... Founding of the city of Sydney...

Captain Arthur Phillip of Royal Navy led the 1st fleet to Australia and founded the penal colony at Sydney Cove Port Jackson on this day (26-Jan) in the year 1788...  This settlement site, port and harbour were currently known as city of Sydney in Australia's New South Wales... 

Also, the possession of New South Wales on day of 26-January was celebrated as Australia Day...

Australian Postal administration in the year 1937, commemorated the 150 years of founding of Sydney Cove with the release of a 2d-Australian penny postage stamp...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) British colonization...

(b) Governors / Politicians...

(c) Navy / Boats...

(d) Anniversaries...

25-January... Founding of the City of Sao Paulo in Brazil...

The city of Sao Paulo was founded on this day (25-Jan) by Manuel da Nobrega, the Portuguese Jesuit priest and first Provincial of the Society of Jesus in colonial Brazil in the year 1554...  

Portuguese Postal Administration commemorated the 400 years of the city of Sao Paulo with the release of a 2.30 $Portuguese escudo postage stamp in the year 1954...

The stamp features the Portuguese wordings "MANUEL DA NOBREGA FUNDADORDA CIDADE DE S.PAULO" meaning "Manuel da Nobrega, Founder of the City of Sao Paulo" 

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Religion / Christianity...

(b) Anniversaries...

(c) Clergy...

(d) Languages on Stamps / Portuguese...

24-January... Establishment of University of Calcutta...

In the year 1857 on this day (24-Jan), the University of Calcutta was established by Alexander Duff, a Christian missionary in India...  This University was the oldest multi-disciplinary and European-style Institution in Asia to be founded at that time...

India Post commemorated the 100th anniversary of University of Calcutta with the release of a 10-naya paisa Postage stamp in the year 1957...

The stamp features wordings in Hindi language "तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय" which means "From darkness lead me to Light" and "कोलकाता विश्वविद्यालय" translates to "Calcutta University"...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Education...

(b) Universities / Educational Institutions...

(c) Architecture...

(d) Anniversaries...

(e) Languages on Stamps / Hindi...

(f) Nature / Trees...

23-January... Elizabeth Blackwell, First Woman to receive Medical Degree in United States...

On this day (23-Jan) in the year 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell received her Medical degree and graduated at the head of her class from Geneva Medical College, New York...  She was a pioneer and roll model for Women in the medical profession at a time when few women were admitted to medical schools...

US Postal Administration commemorated her with the release of 18-cent postage stamp in the year 1974...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Medical Science...

(b) Science and Technology...

(c) Famous personalities...

(d) Women in Stamps...

22-January... Royal Proclamation of King Edward VII...

King Edward VII was featured in the 1st Class stamp released by Royal Mail in the year 2012 to commemorate Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee...

Post the unfortunate death of Queen Victoria, Albert Edward was proclaimed as King on this day (22-Jan) in the year 1901...  Originally born under the name of Albert Edward, he chose to reign as Edward VII...  He became the first monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha which was later changed to Windsor...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Royalty...

(b) Heads of State...

(c) Kings...

21-January... National Hugging Day...

To show and embrace once feelings, Kevin Zaborney, in the year 1986 dedicated the day 21-Jan as National Hugging Day...  The annual event which was practiced in US was nowadays observed in many other countries...

India Post, in the year 2000 released a 3-rupees postage stamp commemorating Children's Day... The stamp narrates one's "Love for Nature" and "Friendship" with a Child hugging an Elephant...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Children's Day...

(b) Painting on Stamps...

(c) Wild animals...

(d) Titles on stamps...

20-January... Simon de Montfort's British Parliament...

Simon de Montfort, referred to as one of the founder of Modern parliamentary democracy, held the English Parliament on this day (20-Jan) in the year 1265... This, for the first time, brought-in the representatives from different cities into the parliament house, which led to the inclusion of Lords and Representatives in British Parliamentary democracy...

The 700th anniversary of Simon de Montfort's Parliament was commemorated with the release of a postage stamp in the year 1965...

The stamp features the Parliament building and image of Queen Elizabeth...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Parliament Buildings...

(b) Architecture...

(c) Heads of State...

(d) Anniversaries...

19-January... Australian Open Tennis - Roy Emerson, the Singles Champion...

 

In the year 2016, Australia Post released postage stamps commemorating Australia's celebrated singles Tennis players... 

Roy Emerson, one of the legendary tennis player commemorated in the stamp, won the Australian Open Singles Tennis Championship on this day (19-Jan) in the year 1963...  The former tennis player won 6  Australian Grand Slam Singles Championship titles in his career...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Sports...

(b) Tennis...

(c) Sportsperson...

18-January... Inauguration of Indian Parliament House...

As a part of Inauguration of New Delhi as the Indian Capital, 1-anna postage stamp was released to commemorate the Council House (presently known as Indian Parliament house) in the year 1931...

In order to establish wider administration of India, British India began construction of Parliament house in the year 1921...  The construction was completed in five years time...  On this day (18-Jan) in the year 1927, Sir Bhupendra Nath Mitra, Member of Governor-General's Executive Council invited Lord Irwin, the Viceroy of India to open the building...  

The stamp features, Council house building and the image of King George V...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Parliament house / Government buildings...

(b) Crowns and Coronets...

(c) Heads of State...

(d) Kings...

17-January... Arrival of Captain Robert Falcon Scott at the South Pole...

The British Antarctic Territory Postal Administration commemorated the 75th anniversary of British Royal Navy Officer, Captain Robert Falcon Scott's arrival at the South Pole with the release of a 10-penny postage stamp in the year 1987...

On his second venture to Antarctic region, Scott led a party of five in the Terra-Nova expedition of 1910-1913...  The crew members of the expedition reached the South Pole on this day (17-Jan) in the year 1912...  

Scott was the first British explorer to reach the South Pole and explore Antarctica extensively by land in the early 1900s...

Stamp features the expedition team led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Science and Technology...

(b) Antarctic expeditions...

(c) Discoveries / Discoverers...

(d) Anniversaries...

7-January... First performance by an African-American with the New York Metropolitan Opera...

One of the most celebrated singers of the 20th Century, Marian Anderson, was commemorated by US Postal Administration in the year 2005 with the release of a 37-cent postage stamp under its Black Heritage Series...

She was the first African-American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera...  Her performance with the Opera took place on this day (7th Jan) in the year 1955...

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Black Heritage Series of USA...

(b) Music...

(c) Singers...

(d) African-American...

1-January... Lithuanian National Flag Day...

 

The Lithuanian Postal Administration released a self-adhesive stamp with the face value of 49-euro cents  in the year 2019 featuring tri-colored State Flag of Lithuania...

The wordings in the stamp "Lietuvos valstybes veliava" means "Flag of the State of Lithuania".

The flag was defined as rectangular tri-color which consists of three equally sized horizontal stripes: the upper is Yellow, the middle is Green, the lower is Red.  The Yellow in the flag symbolizes the Sun and prosperity ; the Green is for the Forests, the countryside, liberty and hope ; and the Red represents the blood and bravery of those who have died for Lithuania. 

This stamp can be collected under the themes:

(a) Flags on Stamps...

(b) New Year celebrations...

(c) Flag Day...

(d) Vernacular / Languages...