Great Britain - issued 1995
But it was Guglielmo Marconi who proved the feasibility of radio communication. He sent and received his first radio signal in Italy in 1895. By 1899 he flashed the first wireless signal across the English Channel and two years later received the letter "S", telegraphed from England to Newfoundland. This was the first successful transatlantic radiotelegraph message in 1902.
One year later the Wright Brothers made the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air flight on December 17, 1903.
USA - issued 2003 |
There are several stamps commemorating that first flight but this was issued on the centenary of the flight that was the beginning of aviation as we know it.
The first non-stop transatlantic flight came in 1919.
Great Britain - 1969 |
The stamp shows a page from the Daily Mail newspaper and was issue for the 50th anniversary of the flight. Alcock and Brown flew a modified World War I Vickers Vimy bomber from St John's Newfoundland to Clifden in County Galway in Ireland. There was a small amount of mail carried on the flight making it the first transatlantic airmail flight.
Now please fly over to Viridian's Sunday-stamps-105 for the celebration of other beginnings.
11 comments:
Great choices for the theme.
Good selection of stamps again Bob. I don't remember the Alcock and Brown one even though I was living in England at the time. I have a book called Victorian Inventions with the most incredible ideas propounded by our predecessors. I've always wished I could think of something to invent.
I especially like the 1969 stamp with the newspaper. It's similar in concept to the card I posted.
I'm always fascinated with your stamp collections choices and themes, but the back story to them is always so interesting. Often we never learn the whole story, but this blog sure devotes to unmasking the truth!
I like the design and style of the Marconi stamp. And radio is still with us, everyday.
thank you for participating!
wow! great selection!
Marconi is a popular subject for stamps, I like all the detail in the 95 one. Today the first thought of Royal Mail seems to be to head for the photo archive when celebrating a life.
I almost went with first flight, but your stamps are a more interesting selection than mine would have been!
The 1969 one is brilliant.
Strangely, I remember the 1969 stamp but not the one from 1995.
Wonderful selections of firsts!
Hi Bob .. stamps do tell us so much - or remind us more likely ..
These are great shots .. and I like your title "In the Beginning ..." - amazing entrepreneurs trying these flying machines out for us ..
Cheers Hilary
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