Visit Belgium, Europa 2012 and new logo...

Europa-CEPT stamps are issued every year by European Postal Administrations under the aegis of PostEuro and which have Europe as a common theme.
The six countries who signed the "Treaty of Rome" on the 25th of March 1957 (Belgium, Holland, Luxemburg, Germany, France & Italy) were also the first countries who issued the first EUROPA stamps on the 15th September 1956.
The frist design of the common stamp was created by the Frenchmen Daniel Gonzague and was a tower formed by the 6 letters of the Latin word EUROPA.  

On the 2011 Europa stamps You'll see a new logo. A small square and black & white element, symbolic reminder of the mailbox, has been added in front of the word Europa.

                                                                    logo used with the permission of PostEurop

As it is impossible to register a plain text-logo, a design element had to ba added to the text "Europa". PostEurop will with this new logo be able to have a better comtrol on missure and non official Europa stamps issues.
This new logo can already be seen on the 2010 Europa stamp issue of Switzerland. The Swiss post has the copyright rights on the Europa logo. In 2011 this logo were featured on each official Europa stamp issue.
The theme of Europa this year is visits.......    
Europa Themes for the coming year :      
2013 : Postal vehicles
2014 : Musical instruments 

The sinking of the Titanic, Belgium 2012 .

The sinking of the Titanic .
RMS Titanic was a passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, UK to New York City, US. The sinking of Titanic caused the deaths of 1,514 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. She was the largest ship afloat at the time of her maiden voyage. One of three Olympic class ocean liners operated by the White Star Line, she was built between 1909–11 by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. She carried 2,223 people.

Her passengers included some of the wealthiest people in the world, as well as over a thousand emigrants from Great Britain and Ireland, Scandinavia and elsewhere seeking a new life in North America. The ship was designed to be the last word in comfort and luxury, with an on-board gymnasium, swimming pool, libraries, high-class restaurants and opulent cabins.

She also had a powerful wireless telegraph provided for the convenience of passengers as well as for operational use. Though she had advanced safety features such as watertight compartments and remotely activated watertight doors, she lacked enough lifeboats to accommodate all of those aboard. Due to outdated maritime safety regulations, she carried only enough lifeboats for 1,178 people – slightly more than half of the number travelling on the maiden voyage and one-third her total passenger and crew capacity.

After leaving Southampton on 10 April 1912, Titanic called at Cherbourg in France and Queenstown (now Cobh) in Ireland before heading westwards towards New York. On 14 April 1912, four days into the crossing and about 375 miles (600 km) south of Newfoundland, she hit an iceberg at 11:40 pm (ship’s time; GMT?3). The glancing collision caused Titanic’s hull plates to buckle inwards in a number of locations on her starboard side and opened five of her sixteen watertight compartments to the sea. Over the next two and a half hours, the ship gradually filled with water and sank. Passengers and some crew members were evacuated in lifeboats, many of which were launched only partly filled. A disproportionate number of men – over 90% of those in Second Class – were left aboard due to a “women and children first” protocol followed by the officers loading the lifeboats. Just before 2:20 am Titanic broke up and sank bow-first with over a thousand people still on board. Those in the water died within minutes from hypothermia caused by immersion in the freezing ocean. The 710 survivors were taken aboard from the lifeboats by RMS Carpathia a few hours later.

Date of Issue: 16 April 2012

Remember Bastogne 1944 : 60th anniversary of the battle of the Ardennes.

Remember Bastogne 1944 : 60th Anniversary of the battle of the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge).
It will take 4 years for the victory to change the camps. Since 6 June 1944 the end of German Reich is announcing and since September the Western democracies are liberated. For the Allies, the objective now is the Rhine, but the Nazi Monster is very tough. Hitler is looking for control of the Ardennes. His goal is to advance to Antwerp, to cut off supply and separate British from American troops, to save time -while awaiting the V2 army- for the operation "Wacht am Rhein" (the guard on the Rhine).
The German mobilizes everyman: youth, old...and also fuel: and, above all, by attacking the area the least expected and considered to be almost impossible: the Ardennes, where everybody is already enjoying a taste of peace and freedom.

In the darkness and the bitter cold of December 16, 1944, the German artillery, under the command of Gerd von Rundstedt, tramples on a front of 135 km from Monschau to Echternach. At 5:30 a.m., the ultimate offensive is launched. The effect of surprise is total. Stunned, the US army staff believes in a distraction, but, in the forefront, the Germans are attacking the sparsely deployed American troops around Bastogne. In his HQ at Bastogne, Major General Middleton in command of the US army immediately grasps the seriousness of the assault; his men receive an order: RESIST. Keep positions, spend your last energy, prevent at all cost the enemy to regain the liberated soil, once and for all kick the "Boches" out, this will be the motto of the last hour combat. Due to terrible fog no air support can be obtained. 

Americans soldiers in Bastogne, Belgium, 20.12.1944.

Before the power of the attack, Eisenhower (General Dwight David Eisenhower), Chief Commander of the Allied Forces, decides the next day reinforcements by the 3rd Army of Patton (General George S. Patton), whose troup's base is currently in Champagne/France.  Among them are the "Tigers" of the 10th armored Division and the "Eagles" of the 101st paratrooper Division just having finished their battles in Normandy and the Netherlands. Their commander General Mc Auliffe -replacing General Taylor bound to go to Washington - ordered a hasty transfer of all his teams by trucks on 18 December. His troops arrive near Bastogne just in time to counter-attack the German panzers and grenadiers. The Germans are moving forward; road blocks are eliminated, villages are taken after fierce fighting: Mageret, Longvilly, Neffe, Wardin, Noville,... the inhabitants are fleeing. Fog is almost as dense as the smoke of the firing of all weaponry. In Bastogne the agitation and confusion is at its worst. Eisenhower orders Middleton (Major general Troy Middleton) and his staff to leave the scene in Bastogne; in their place Mc Auliffe and his men are settling in. "Stay OK!", said the first to the second. Now the Germans are executing the siege of Bastogne. All citizens and military understand this and are preparing. Residents take blankets and food to the soldiers, prepare their cellars for shelter, build hastily food stocks; the Mayor Jacqmin organizes the guard of the empty houses. The armored tanks are camouflaged with chalk or under white sheets provided by citizens and are positioned in the virgin white snow covered landscape.

The Bastognards and their defenders will live 15 days in a state of siege; the price for the freedom of a full continent.

On 19 December, the US 28th Division command post transfers to Bastogne from Wiltz, a large village in the southeast. At Wiltz, the division put up its last stand; 3rd Battalion of the 110th supported by armor and artillery arrives at the city around noon of that day. The 44th Engineer Battalion is set up north of the town, but they are soon forced to retreat into the city, blowing up a bridge behind them. This small force numbering no more than 500 in total is holding out until the evening, when their position is becoming completely untenable and they retreat to the west. While the 110th Infantry is completely destroyed as an effective combat unit, it is now up to the rest of the Allied Forces to defend Bastogne.

On 21 December, the siege is getting more tight,  but the defenders of Bastogne are maintaining a large escape route. At Marvie, Bizory and Mandé.... the war is ending at every next juncture. The US General Kokott, his grenadiers, his artillery and his Panthers, have 24 hours to reach the city, while the panzers of Von Manteuffel already moves towards the Meuse. At Reims, Patton and the 3rd US Army returning from liberating the Lorraine, are preparing to fly to the rescue of the besieged. But the snow is now blocking air transport and the cold is getting more and more intensive. 

On 22 December, at 11:30 a.m., German commanders are asking for the American surrender to which General Mc Auliffe answers quite briefly, "Nuts!” ("They are crazy!"). Lt. Col. Harry Kinnard has been suggesting that this historic response to the Germans has a different meaning than craziness; it should be understood as: "Go to the devil!".
After this event Bastogne has the nickname : Nuts City.
As soon as the battle of Bastogne begins the Germans, after furious fighting, are able to cut off all access roads. Surrounded, isolated in the middle of the enemy troops the city remains the ultimate bastion of resistance to the Nazi regime.
The next day, the weather suddenly clears up, allowing air retaliation and the parachuting of much needed food, medicine, and weaponry.
The Bastognards in siege who are at the end of their resources are crying of emotion, a miracle has happened.!

Christmas of 1944 is a White Christmas but not the one someone would like to dream of; this is a Christmas full of weapon firing, citizens endlessly sheltering in their cold and wet cellars. A Christmas of hell for the soldiers undercooled in their trenches waiting for Patton, while the German reinforcements are streaming in. The enemy is changing its plans and objective: Bastogne is now a matter of honor!

On 25 December, the panzers stop at the doors of Dinant. They won't go further.

Office religion in open air .

Finally on 26 December, the first tanks of the 4th Armored Division of Patton arrive South of Bastogne. Moving in record time a complete army is something; but with the snow, frost (-20 C°) blocking the convoys, soldiers covered with ice; this is an exceptional performence! Patton's participation in the fighting is an immediate and a terrible confrontation to the German troops. The Americans manage to break the infernal circle around Bastogne and make the connection with the besieged. The narrow corridor of Assenois immediately allows the evacuation of the wounded, the arrival of troops and equipment, while 130 DC3s bring supplies to the city, 32 gliders drop medical staff and field-hospitals while under fire of the enemy flak.
The US infantry counter-attack begins on 28 December. The next day, the German JU 88s are shelling Bastogne while American troops finally receive their winter outfits. The night of Saint-Sylvestre will be bloody.
On New Year day many citizens evacuate the city, others shelter in small cellars because the swarms Junkers lay blankets of fire and bring grief to the heart of the city.

The main road of Bastogne.

On 16 January, at the time of the last bombing, 212 homes and the Carré Square are fully destroyed and turned into ruins. 

Bastogne understands its duty of keeping the memories of these days alive, but the city also gets a second youth since then: "made in USA". 

From the "Star Memorial" high on the Mardasson Hill in honour of the 79,890 American victims of the winter 1944-1945, to the museums, monuments, tanks, cemeteries, everything here tells what were the terrible days of the fight for freedom which took place in and around the ancient city of the Ardennes. Bastogne will always be the symbol of this dramatic episode.

If victory is as much due to the power of determination of men, soldiers, resistants and citizens as to the power of the weapons, they all have to pay a very high price for it. The "Battle of the Bulge" was one of the deadliest of the second World War: the last outburst of Nazism made almost 80,000 casualties (killed, wounded or missing) in each camp and took 2,500 citizens lives.
With the deployment of 250,000 men, 2,000 canons, 1,500 tanks and 1,500 in the Ardennes offensive the German attacker was at the end of January 1945 thrown back to the Rhine, while its East front collapsed....By this siege and battle for Bastogne the exhausted Germans postponed the final Allied victory on the west front by 2 months and gave the Soviets an extra 2 months time profit on their way to Berlin on the Americans. These very important 2 months that would weigh heavily on the balance of the world stage and would finally trigger another war, the cold one.

                          The Mardasson Memorial to soldiers who fought in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944

Scanned in image of copy of the letter sent to soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of Bastogne. Letter from General McAuliffe on Christmas Day to the 101st Airborne troops defending Bastogne.

Letter of the King of Belgium.

On December 10, 2011 was held in Bastogne, road of Clervaux, (turret of Sherman) the opening of a new commemorative plaque dedicated to the CWB (Combat Command B) of the 10th Armored Division for his action in and around Bastogne during the battle of Ardennes. 

Issued on 30.10.2004.

Michel number : 3378-3380

A Symbol of Love " Taj Mahal " 2004, India.

The Taj Mahal of Agra is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, for reasons more than just looking magnificent. It's the history of Taj Mahal that adds a soul to its magnificence: a soul that is filled with love, loss, remorse, and love again. Because if it was not for love, the world would have been robbed of a fine example upon which people base their relationships. An example of how deeply a man loved his wife, that even after she remained but a memory, he made sure that this memory would never fade away.

This man was the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who was head-over-heels in love with Mumtaz Mahal, his dear wife. She was a Muslim Persian princess (her name Arjumand Banu Begum before marriage) and he was the son of the Mughal Emperor Jehangir and grandson of Akbar the Great. It was at the age of 14 that he met Mumtaz and fell in love with her. Five years later in the year 1612, they got married.

Mumtaz Mahal, an inseparable companion of Shah Jahan, died in 1631, while giving birth to their 14th child. It was in the memory of his beloved wife that Shah Jahan built a magnificent monument as a tribute to her, which we today know as the "Taj Mahal". The construction of Taj Mahal started in the year 1631. Masons, stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome-builders and other artisans were requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also from Central Asia and Iran, and it took approximately 22 years to build what we see today. An epitome of love, it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. The monument was built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees (approx US $68000), Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653.

It was soon after the completion of Taj Mahal that Shah Jahan was deposed by his own son Aurangzeb and was put under house arrest at nearby Agra Fort. Shah Jahan, himself also, lies entombed in this mausoleum along with his wife. Moving further down the history, it was at the end of the 19th century that British Viceroy Lord Curzon ordered a sweeping restoration project, which was completed in 1908, as a measure to restore what was lost during the Indian rebellion of 1857: Taj being blemished by British soldiers and government officials who also deprived the monument of its immaculate beauty by chiseling out precious stones and lapis lazuli from its walls. Also, the British style lawns that we see today adding on to the beauty of Taj were remodeled around the same time. Despite prevailing controversies, past and present threats from Indo-Pak war and environmental pollution, this epitome of love continuous to shine and attract people from all over the world.

Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these word : 

Should guilty seek asylum here, 

Like one pardoned, he becomes free sin. 

Should a sinner make his way to this mansion, 

All his past sins are to be washed away. 

The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs; 

And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes. 

In this world this edifice has been made; 

To display thereby the creator's glory.

It has been included into a list of World Seven Wonders and UNESCO World’s Heritage Site.

Issued on 16/12/2004.

The Eigth Immortals 2011, Thailand.

The Eight Immortals : The Eight Chinese Deities or "Ba Sane" are the patron saints of Chinese Taoists. Their images are believed to be incredibly auspicious. Colorful stories surround the Immortals. There is a world of magic and supernatrual feats that bring benefits to those who invite them into their homes. They are frequently depicted on Chinese porcelain, such as vases, urns and plates, and are believed to bestow happiness and good fortune when their images are displayed inside the the home. The best way to invite them into your home is to hang a beautiful painting of all eight of them, each dressed to reflect individual wordly personas and holding their own symbols of magic.

The Eight Immortals : each guard one of the eight directions, so their presence in the home ensures all round good feng shui. When you have them near you, deep inside there is nothing to fear. They help you bring longevity, good fortune, good descendents, wealth, fame and recognition. They also create compassion and generosity of spirit. Indeed, they are saints, so they stand for all things positive, pure and invigorating.

李鐵拐 Li Tieguai (Iron-Crutch Li).

His direction is South and his element is fire. He is depicted as a beggar with an iron crutch and a magic staff. His symbols are the iron staff and a magical gourd (a symbol of universal medicine). Having mastered the Five Phases of Energy and successfully combining Yin and Yang energy, he can metamorphose matter and concoct medicines and potions from his gourd. He has a reputation for benevolence and is known to help those in need of money and those recovering from illness. He occassionally transforms into a dragon and flies to the Heavens, but frequently returns to Earth when called upon. He travels to Earth mounted on a Pi Yao or chimera, a mythical guardian animal symbolizing diginity and courage.

鐘離權 Zhongli Quan (further) or Han Chong Li.

His direction is East and his element is wood. He is portrayed as bearded and thinly clad. His hair is gathered in two coils on the sides of his head. His symbol is a magical palm-leaf fan, which he uses to revive and reincarnate the souls of the recently departed. Over 1,800 years of old, he is said to frequently visit the Earth realm as a messenger of the Gods of Heaven. He is mounted on a Chi Lin, a mythical animal sacred to the Taoists. If you invite him into your home, he will bring honorable sons into your family and invoke the great support of the magical Tai Sui, also known as the Grand Duke Jupiter. It is said that if you have upset the Tai Sui, having his image in the home will appease the Tai Sui, thereby saving you from misfortune. He signifies longevity.

呂洞賓 Lü Dongbin (further).  

His direction is West and his element is metal. He is always portrayed with a double-edged "demon slaying" magical sword strapped on his back. This pure Yang sword possesses supernatural powers and was given to him by a dragon. It makes him invisible to evil spirits and enables him to hide in the heavens. Popularly known as Ancestor Lu, his three-part beard symbolizes the three Channels in the body that is used to attain the highest meditative levels. He is believed to have spent 400 years on earth, and periodically reappears. He can be accessed via channeling through mediums. High meditators can communicate directly with him. When you invite him into your home, you can be certain that no one with evil intentions can enter your house.

張果老 Zhang Guo Lao (Elder Zhang Guo). 

His direction is North and his element is water. His symbol are the magical donkey and tube containing wands or "phoenix feathers" which he uses to forecast fortunes and misfortunes. When he is not riding his donkey, he can fold the donkey and put it in a small box. He is believed to assist those who have passed on to reincarnate into good realms. His image is best placed inside bedrooms, especially for those who are trying to have children. He is also said to be excellent at giving you the gift of prophetic dreams.

何仙姑 Immortal Woman He (何瓊 He Qiong) or He Shian Gu.

Her direction is Southwest and her element is earth. Taoists believe that she is still alive, but is now over 1,400 years old. She became immortal at 14 when she was given the precious Peach of Immortality. She is shown holding a magical lotus blossom, the flower of divine brilliance, which symbolizes her power and purity. She sits on a deer, a symbol of energetic longevity. She helps those whose situations are desperate and in need of divine intervention. She brings marriage and family luck.

藍采和 Lan Caihe. 

His direction is Northwest and his element is metal. He is the youngest of the Eight Immortals. His symbol is a magical basket of flowers, which consists of 108 flowers, plants, and branches from trees associated with longevity, such as the chrysanthemum, peach blossom, pine and bamboo. He is mounted upon an elephant, a symbol of wisdom, strength and prudence, and is also a friend of the crane. Having him in your home help brings joyousness and attracts beautiful people into your life.

                                

韓湘 Han Xiang (Master Han Xiang [韓湘子 Han Xiangzi]).

His direction is Southeast and his element is wood. He is an expert on the mysteries of Heaven and a Master of the Five Phases of Energy. The sacred knots on his robe are symbols of his success in combining the two energies of Yin and Yang into the One Original Energy. He always carries a flute, with which he plays the Six Healing Sounds. His magical flute was made of purple bamaoo and it glows purple light in the dark. He is shown mounted on an Ox, a mythical beast.

曹國舅 Cao Guojiu (Royal Uncle Cao).

His direction is Northeast and his element is earth. He is one of two royal brothers whose sister was a Sung Empress. His symbol are the magical castanets (a pair of small pieces of bamboo plate that are joined at the top), which he plays in a soothing and relaxing rhythm to facilitate meditation and to help him journey through the universe. He is mounted on a Pi Yao whose spirit helps him unveil the secrets of the Tao and Immorality. He is said to be still living on earth. Having him in the home is said to invoke his protective presence. He is like a powerful protector who guards you without you even knowing it. He is an excellent friend of those who want to be successful in their studies.

The Eigth Immortals crossing the sea from Myths and Legends of China.

A set of the Eigth Immortals stamps from China.

The Thai stamps issued on 01/02/2011.

The Year of the Dragon 2012, Christmas Island, Australia.

The Year of the Dragon 2012,
01/23/2012 - 02/09/2013 (Water)

the Year of 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, which begins on January 23, 2012 and ends on February 9, 2013. The Dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 Animal signs. The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend. In ancient China, the celestial Dragon represents an emperor and power. Today, it is the ultimate auspicious symbol signifying success and happiness. May the celestial Dragon bring great good luck to everyone.

The dragon is described as having the head of an ox, muzzle of a donkey, eyes of a shrimp, horns of a deer, body of a serpent covered with fish scales, and feet of a phoenix. The dragon usually clutches a pearl symbolic of its super-natural powers. Invariably accompanied by thunder and rain, dragons move like lightning and whirlwinds - - all powerful yet totally unpredictable.

The Sign of the Dragon
People born in the Year of the Dragon share certain characteristics: Innovative, enterprising, self-assured, brave, passionate, conceited, and quick-tempered.
People born in the Year of the Dragon usually make it to the top. But, they must be aware of that too much enthusiasm can leave them tired and unfulfilled. They find pleasure in helping others, and you can always count on their help. Even though they are willing to assist when necessary, their pride can often impede them from accepting the same kind of help from others. Their generous personalities give them the ability to attract friends, but they can be rather solitary people at heart. Their self-sufficiency can mean that they have no need for close bonds with other people.

Dragon people are quite imaginative, always able to see new paths and will take a radical approach. They have innate explorative spirit and try to succeed at one stroke. They are very adaptable and are fit for various occupations, especially if those occupations allow them to take the limelight. They work hard, but would rather give orders than receive them. They should avoid jobs that encompass too much routine, and should move toward jobs in which their self-reliance can be an asset.
People born in the Year of the Dragon like to spend money and are charitable themselves as well as with others. Many Dragon people will take big chances with their finances. It is very rare that they remain poor for long. They will always be straightforward in financial dealings and can always be trusted.
Dragon Years: 02/19/1904 to 02/03/1905 (Wood), 02/03/1916 to 01/22/1917 (Fire), 01/23/1928 to 02/09/1929 (Earth), 02/08/1940 to 01/26/1941 (Metal), 01/27/1952 to 02/13/1953 (Water), 02/13/1964 to 02/01/1965 (Wood), 01/31/1976 to 02/17/1977 (Fire), 02/17/1988 to 02/05/1989 (Earth), 02/05/2000 to 01/23/2001 (Metal), 01/23/2012 to 02/09/2013 (Water).

Christmas Island issued the Year of the Dragon on 10 January 2012.

The stamps show the development of the Chinese character for the Dragon, shown fully in the $1.80 stamp, and the way it is derived from its pictorial representation, shown in the 60c stamp.

                                     

Great goodluck to everyone!!

Why not be naked in public?

" Why not be naked in public? " " There are public beaches where people do that. America is the place that exists between New York and California, that’s the real America. New York and California are not part of that. You have the whole Bible belt with a lot of resentfulness of nudity in public places. People make references to my work as sex, which is simply not true. Sex is an activity and nudity is a condition. When I do a painting, everybody calls them pinups. When Picasso or Matisse did nude paintings, people called them nudes. That’s what I want to be part of. I want to be of the group that’s called nudes not pinups. Jesus Christ. " Mel Ramos.

Mel Ramos : Melvin John Ramos (born July 24, 1935), is a U.S. figurative painter, whose work incorporates elements of realist and abstract art. Born in Sacramento, California, he gained his greatest popularity in association with the Pop Art movement of the 1960s.
Mel Ramos received his first important recognition in the early 1960s; since 1959 he has participated in more than 120 group shows. Along with other artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg and James Rosenquist, Ramos produced art works that celebrated aspects of popular culture as represented in mass media. His paintings have been shown in major exhibitions of Pop Art in the U.S. and in Europe, and reproduced in books, catalogs, and periodicals throughout the world.
The classification of Ramos within any particular school of art is disputed. Some critical observers of the "art scene" classify Mel Ramos as a pop artist. However, others believe identification of Ramos' work within the Pop movement of the 1960s implies a satirical or parodic bent which does not reflect the broader context of his paintings, and instead defend his "parodies" as respectful, affectionate tributes, a celebration of images with personal meaning. Mel Ramos was one of four artist in the "Ashes to Life - A Portuguese American Story in Art", which was published in English and Portuguese for the exhibit of the same name with artists Nathan Oliveira Nathan Oliveira, Joao de Brito and John Matos in 2008.
Ramos has been represented by the Louis K. Meisel Gallery since 1971.

« I have my own concept of good taste. When I do my paintings I’m not trying to make any confrontational image, something that will piss someone off on purpose. I’m not into doing that. Picasso did a lot of erotic drawings, pornographic drawings some would call them. So have I, but I did them for fun and to trade with my artist friends. I’m not trying to make somebody angry by being too obvious, too blatant, and too available. »

Cinderella Pop Art of Mel Ramos.

It's time to write letter and lick stamp instead of send electronic mail!!!!!!!  ^^;

Operation Valkyrie : 20 July 1944, Germany.

July 20, 1944 : Operation Valkyrie and the July Plot to Assassinate Hitler.

Operation Valkyrie (German: Operation Walküre) was an emergency continuity of government operations plan developed in Nazi Germany for the Territorial Reserve Army of Germany to execute and implement in case of a general breakdown in civil order of the nation. Failure of the government to maintain control of civil affairs could be caused by the Allied bombing of German cities, or a rising of millions of foreign forced laborers working in German factories.

German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) officers General Friedrich Olbricht, Major General Henning von Tresckow, and Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg modified the plan with the intention of using it to take control of German cities, disarm the SS, and arrest the Nazi leadership once Hitler had been assassinated in the July 20 Plot. Hitler's death (as opposed to his arrest) was required to free German soldiers from their oath of loyalty to him (Reichswehreid). After lengthy preparation, the plot was carried out in 1944, but failed.

General Helmuth Stieff, Chief of Organization in Army High Command, volunteered to be the assassin but later backed away. Tresckow attempted several times to be assigned to Hitler's headquarters without success. At least six attempts were aborted . Finally, Stauffenberg decided to carry out both the assassination attempt and the Valkyrie operation on July 20, 1944.  

It was decided to drop plans to kill Goering and Himmler at the same time. which greatly reduced the chance of success. After two abortive attempts, Stauffenberg, who had never met Hitler before, carried the bomb in a briefcase and placed it on the floor and hurried back to Berlin to assume his pivotal role. The bomb exploded killing four men in the hut. Hitler's right arm was badly injured but he survived the bomb blast.

For his involvement in the movement he was shot shortly after the failed attempt. It was later reported the Stauffenberg died shouting "Long live holy Germany". 

                             

                                    

Millenary Year 954-1954 Defeat of Eric Bloodaxe.

Eric Bloodaxe Haraldsson (Second king of Norway, Last Viking King of York).
 Eric was born ca. 895, the favored son of Norwegian King Harald Fairhair. According to the colorful Icelandic sagas he began his Viking career aged 12. He started first in the east and south towards Holland,Denmark and northern Germany. He was away from home for four years during which time he raided successfully in Scotland, Ireland, Britain and Normandy as well as Finnmark in northern Norway and Bjarmeland (Today, Bjarmeland comprise a part of the Arkhangelsk Oblast of Russia.).
 Eirik developed into a strong, fearsome warrior who was cruel, moody and mostly uncontrollable. It was during this period he became known as Eirik Bloodaxe following the unmerciful use of his axe in battle.

On one expedition he met and married a witch called Gunnhild, who is generally portrayed as an evil witch, the daughter of the king of Denmark.

The sagas recount how Eric became king of Norway after the death of his father and had four of his older brothers killed in his bid to keep the crown. But he was ousted by his younger brother « Hakon » and came to Britain where he was made king of Northumbria and lived in a palace in York.

He earned his nickname « Blood axe » by murdering several of his brothers in order to secure his succession to the Norwegian throne, one of the Latin texts calls him « fratris interfector » ( brother-killer), so it seems likely that «  blood » in this context refers to family, just as today we refer to «  blood relations » as distinct from relations by marriage or adoption.

In 947 Eric became a King of Northumbrians. The English king Eadred responded by invading and ravaging Northumbria, burning down St Wilfrid’s minster at Ripon.

As the English army headed south, Eric Bloodaxe’s army caught up with its rearguard and ‘made a great slaughter’ at Castleford. Eadred threatened to destroy Northumbria in revenge, and the Northumbrians turned their back on Eric and made reparations to the English king. 

After another change of mind they accepted Olaf Sihtricsson as their ruler, only for Eric to drive him out and take over again. Finally in 954 Eric Bloodaxe was expelled for the second and final time and King Eadred of Wessex and England gained control. 

Eric's death at the battle of Stainmore in 954 brought an end to independent Viking rule in Northumbria. This is sometimes taken as the end of the first Viking Age, although Viking raids on England resumed in the 980s. However, raiding and settlement in Ireland, Scotland and Wales continued throughout the period in between, so this date is only significant in a purely English context.

Issued on 07/03/1955; Island of Lundy.

The Atomium 1958, Belgium.

The Atomium is a monument in Brussels, originally built for Expo '58, the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. Designed by André Waterkeyn, it stands 102 metres tall. It has nine steel spheres connected so that the whole forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.

Tubes connect the spheres along the 12 edges of the cube and all eight vertices to the centre. They enclose escalators connecting the spheres containing exhibit halls and other public spaces. The top sphere provides a panoramic view of Brussels. Each sphere is 18 metres in diameter. Three spheres are currently (2008) closed to visitors, others can be reached easily by escalators. The vertical vertex contains a lift which was very fast and advanced at the time of building (the speed is 5 m/s).One of the original ideas for Expo '58 was to build an upside-down version of the Eiffel Tower; however, Waterkeyn felt that an atomic structure would be more symbolic of the era. The monument was originally planned to stand there for six months. However, it became a symbol not only of the World's Fair but also of modern architecture and the city of Brussels and of Belgium. It received monument status and stayed on the former exhibition grounds for over 50 years. It is now one of Brussels' main attractions.

  In April 2006, the Belgium issued a commemorative coin of € 2 coin representing the Atomium.

Issued on 1958.

Dinosaurs.

Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae (meaning "Phu Wiang lizard") is the name given to a genus of dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous. It was a titanosaur which lived in Thailand. The type species, P. sirindhornae, was described by Martin, Buffetaut, and Suteethorn in 1994, it was named to honour Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand on her interested on geology and palaeontology of Thailand. It was around 90 feet long.
This new genus is very different from the sauropods from the upper Jurassic of China. Abundant remains of juveniles, attributed to Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae, provide new data on babies sauropodes, little known until now.

Siamotyrannus Isanensis (meaning "Siamese Tyrant") is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian). It is known from a partial skeleton which includes part of the pelvis, the sacrum, and a number of vertebrae. The fossils were found in 1993 by Somchai Traimwichanon in the Sao Khua Formation of northeastern Thailand. As evidenced by its name, it was originally thought to be a tyrannosauroid, though due to lacking some of the primary tyrannosauroid synapomorphies that define the clade, its position here is not certain. Some analyses have categorized Siamotyrannus as a primitive carnosaur rather than a basal tyrannosauroid, and it has several features that may determine it to be an allosaurid or a sinraptorid. Little is known of the appearance of the animal, though the known elements suggest it was approximately 6.5 meters long.

Siamosaurus Suteethorni (meaning "Siamese lizard") is a genus of theropod dinosaur from Early Cretaceous Thailand. The size of the animal is unknown, but it may have reached a length of about 9.1 meters (30 ft). The type species, Siamosaurus suteethorni, was formally described by Buffetaut and Ingavat in 1986. There is very little information on this Cretaceous meat-eater, but it is known from teeth that closely resemble those of Spinosaurus; it may have eaten fish.

 Psittacosaurus Sattayaraki (from the Greek for "parrot lizard") is a genus of psittacosaurid ceratopsian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of what is now Asia, about 130 to 100 million years ago. It is notable for being the most species-rich dinosaur genus. Nine to eleven species are recognized from fossils found in different regions of modern-day China, Mongolia and Russia, with a possible additional species from Thailand.

                                                            Issued on 28/08/1997.