It wasn't until 1964 that someone other than the monarch appeared on stamps of Great Britain. That first person was commemorated on a set issued on his birthday - 23rd April.
Great Britain - Shakespeare Festival, Eve of Agincourt (Henry V)
But the first person to appear who had been alive in my lifetime was -
Sir Winston Churchill (8 July 1965)
Also in 1965 the pioneer of antiseptic surgery was honoured on the centenary of his discovery.
Great Britain - Joseph Lister.
It was 1967 before a living person appeared on a GB stamp and then you have to look hard to see him.
Sir Francis Chichester's Round the World Voyage.
Two years later it was the centenary year of one of the first foreign men that I was aware of as a boy, other than Hitler of course.
Gandhi Centenary Year.
Rather than show a Hitler stamp I'll show a German stamp.
West Germany
Our host has chosen a German stamp as well, to see this and follow the other participants please cross over to Violet at Sunday-stamps-ii-4.
The theme this week is ships of any sort. This gives me the chance to select one stamp commemorating the exploits of one man.
In 1960 Francis Chichester won the first solo transatlantic yacht race in 40 days.
On 28 May 1967 in the yacht Gipsy Moth IV he became the first man to race solo round the world with only one port of call (Sydney). The first solo circumnavigation had been completed by Joshua Slocum in the 1890s but he had numerous stops and had taken 3 years. Chichester completed the circumnavigation in 226 sailing days.
The commemorative stamp was issued 24 July 1967.
Sir Francis Chichester's World Voyage
Francis Chichester was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, also in July 1967, using the same sword used by Elizabeth I to knight another Francis - Sir Francis Drake, the first Englishman with his crew to complete a circumnavigation of the world.
I could have chosen stamps from 13 different countries for this week's theme, but thought Gipsy Moth IV and Chichester, of course, deserved a post of their own.
To see what other ships have been chosen sail across to Sunday-stamps-93
