|
The U.S. Postal Service inaugurated the Celebrate The Century Program in February 1998.
An unprecedented commemorative stamp and education program honoring the most memorable and significant people, events and trends of the 20th century. For the first time, the public, including school children, were invited to put their own stamp on history by voting on subjects that featured on stamps. Beginning in February 1998 and spanning a two-year period, the Postal Service issued sheets of commemorative stamps heralding the most significant occurrences of each decade of the 20th century. Each decade sheet showcases 15 different stamps. "Through Celebrate the Century, Americans can save the past as they look toward the future," said Postmaster General Marvin Runyon. "U.S. postage stamps have been integral to the fabric of American life since the founding of our great country, and they continue to be a source of learning and pride for all Americans. Capturing history on stamps is a part of the Postal Service’s proud heritage. What makes Celebrate the Century such a unique continuation of this heritage is that, for the first time, the public played a major role in determining the stamp subjects that have become a permanent record of the passing millennium. Selecting the Stamps Stamp subjects for the Celebrate The CenturyÔ program were determined two ways. First, stamps representing the years 1900-1949 (five decades) were recommended by the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC), a group of citizens appointed by the Postmaster General to review all stamp suggestions and make recommendations for future stamps. Second, stamp subjects representing the years 1950-1999 (5 decades) were voted on by the American public. Subjects recommended by CSAC appeared on each decade’s ballot. Ballots were divided into five voting categories from which the public chose up to three specific subjects. The categories were: People & Events, Arts & Entertainment, Sports, Science & Technology and Lifestyle. The top 15 vote-getters were commemorated on that decade’s stamp sheet. The independent accounting firms Booz Allen and Gallup tabulated all votes.
TRAVEL THROUGH THE 20TH CENTURY
View the stamps and read about each subject for the ten issues of the Celebrate The CenturyÔ Program:
|
|