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Celebrate the Century facts for kids

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Celebrate the Century
Country of production United States
Location of production APU, Williamsville, NY, US
Designer various
Engraver various
Printer Ashton-Potter USA
Dimensions 190 mm × 229 mm (7.5 in × 9.0 in)
Perforation 11.5
Commemorates Events of the 20th century in the US in 10 sheets that commemorates each decade
Depicts Various people, things, events in 15 stamps per sheet
Notability Used in the CTC education program, and travelled as a railroad exhibit under the CTC Express program.
Nature of rarity Not rare
Face value 32¢ x 15 ($4.80)
1900s to 1940s
33¢ x 15 ($4.95)
1950s to 1990s
Estimated value About $150 for all the sheets

The Celebrate the Century stamp series is a special collection of postage stamps created by the United States Postal Service. These stamps show important moments and events from the 20th century in the United States.

There are ten different sheets in the series. Each sheet focuses on one decade, starting from the 1900s all the way to the 1990s. Every sheet has fifteen unique stamps. For the first eight sheets (1900s to 1970s), one stamp on each sheet was printed using a special detailed method called intaglio. The other fourteen stamps were printed using a common method called offset printing. All the sheets were printed by a company called Ashton-Potter USA.

How the Stamps Looked

These special stamp sheets were quite large, measuring about 7½ by 9 inches (190mm by 229mm). They were designed to be kept as souvenirs.

  • Each sheet showed the decade in the top left corner, like "1900s".
  • The entire background of the sheet featured a big picture related to that decade. For example, the 1900s sheet showed the Wright brothers with their airplane.
  • The fifteen stamps were placed on the sheets at a slight angle.
  • There was a special area on each sheet that described the decade and what the stamps on it represented.
  • You could find a description for each individual stamp printed on the back, sticky side of the sheet.

The edges of the sheets also had words describing the types of events shown: Arts, Sports, Historical Events on the left, Technology, Entertainment, Science on the top, and Political Figures, Life Style on the right.

Experts from the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee chose the images for the first five sheets. For the last five sheets, people across the country voted to pick the images!

The CTC Express Train Tour

19990205 01 USPS CTC Express, Washington, DC
Celebrate the Century Express

To share the "Celebrate the Century" stamps with everyone, the USPS created an amazing traveling train museum called the Celebrate the Century Express. This train was a big hit and even won awards!

The train toured the United States for 18 months, from March 1999 to November 2000. It visited 100 cities in 42 states. More than 111,000 people, including 6,000 kids, came to see it.

The CTC Express train had:

  • An Amtrak diesel engine.
  • A special exhibit car with cool multimedia displays about US stamps.
  • A restored old Railway Mail Service car.
  • A historic railroad business car.
  • A baggage car.

The train received awards for its design and excellence. The United States Congress even praised the USPS for these achievements in May 2000.

The CTC Education Program

The USPS teamed up with the United States Department of Education and ten top education groups to create a special learning program. This program reached over 300,000 students across the U.S. It was like a field trip through the 20th century, right in the classroom!

Teachers could get free kits for students in grades 3 to 6. Each kit included:

  • A guide for teachers.
  • A fun activity magazine for students.
  • Computer activities and links to websites.
  • Visuals for the classroom.
  • Balloting (voting) activities for students.
  • Take-home projects for kids to do with their parents.

A survey in 1999 showed that this education program was a huge success with educators.

The Stamp Sheets by Decade

1900s: Dawn of the 20th Century

This teddy bear stamp later inspired the USPS to release a set of four new teddy bear stamps in 2002.

1910s: America Looks Beyond Its Borders

The stamp honoring George Washington Carver was the second one the US Postal Service had ever issued for him.

1920s: The Roaring Twenties

1930s: Depression, Dust Bowl, and a New Deal

The photo of Florence Owens Thompson, called "Migrant Mother," is a famous image from the Great Depression.

1940s: World War II Transforms America

1950s: Family Fun, Suburbia, and Nuclear Threats

The stamp of Lucille Ball was the first one made to honor the actress.

1960s: The Rebellious Sixties and Man on the Moon

1970s: Bicentennial, Watergate, and Earth Day

When the Boeing 747 stamp was revealed, Boeing put a huge replica of the stamp image on the door of their factory!

1980s: Space Shuttle Launched, Berlin Wall Falls

The Vietnam Veteran Memorial stamp was the second stamp about the Vietnam War.

1990s: Cold War Ends, Economy Booms

The "Return to Space" stamp showed the Space Shuttle Discovery and John Glenn's old Mercury Friendship 7 spacecraft together in space.

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