Nature and Conservation

2011 44¢ & 11¢ Semipostal - Save Vanishing Species
September 20, 2011

Save Vanishing Species Stamp 

On September 20, 2011, the USPS issued its fourth Semipostal stamp. The Save Vanishing Species stamp has raised over $7 million in the years since it was first placed on sale.

Read Article
2018 50¢ O Beautiful – Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, Colorado
September 3, 1964

The Wilderness Act

On September 3, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wilderness Act.  The act protected 9 million acres from development and created the National Wilderness Preservation System that consists of more than 111 million acres today.

Read Article
1988 25¢ Honeybee Coil Stamp
September 2, 1988

First U.S. Combination-Process Coil

On September 2, 1988, the USPS issued its first coil stamp printed by two totally different procedures. The Honeybee stamp was lithographed and engraved.

Read Article
1966 5¢ Migratory Bird Treaty
August 16, 1916

US and Canada Sign Migratory Bird Treaty

On August 16, 1916, the US and Canada signed the first Migratory Bird Treaty to protect the birds that live in both nations. Several programs came out of this agreement that has helped to save hundreds of species of migratory birds.

Read Article
2019 $7.35 Joshua Tree Priority Mail Stamp
August 10, 1936

Joshua Tree National Monument

On August 10, 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt used the power of the 1906 Antiquities Act to create Joshua Tree National Monument. Decades later, the trees received additional protection when the area was made into a national park.

Read Article
1934 7¢ National Parks: Acadia, Maine
July 8, 1916

Acadia National Park

On July 8, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson created Sieur de Monts National Monument, which later became Acadia National Park.  The park is located on Maine’s Mount Desert Island, Isle Au Haut, on the Schoodic Peninsula.

Read Article
1934 10¢ Great Smoky Mountains
June 15, 1934

Great Smoky Mountains National Park 

On June 15, 1934, Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation establishing Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Home to some of the highest mountains in North America, the park is one of the most visited in the United States.

Read Article
1993 29¢ Garden Flowers: Tulip
May 15, 1993

Garden Flower Series

On May 15, 1993, the USPS issued the first installment in the Garden Flower Series, which would honor flowers that bloom in each of the four seasons. The series was inspired by the popular Wildflowers 50-stamp se-tenant issued a year earlier.

Read Article
2022 58¢ Eugenie Clark
May 4, 1922

Birth of Eugenie Clark

Eugenie “Genie” Clark was born on May 4, 1922, in New York, New York.  Nicknamed “The Shark Lady,” she was a world-renowned marine biologist best known for her work with sharks and trailblazing in the field of scuba diving for marine research.

Read Article

Love history?

Discover events in American history – plus the stamps that make them come alive.

Subscribe to get This Day in History stories straight to your inbox every day!