Postage stamps of Ireland are the postage stamps issued by the postal authority of the independent Irish state. Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland when the world's first postage stamps were issued in 1840. These stamps, and all subsequent British issues, were used in Ireland until the new Irish Government assumed power in 1922. Beginning on 17 February 1922, existing British stamps were overprinted with Irish text to provide some definitives until separate Irish issues became available. Following the overprints, a regular series of definitive stamps was produced by the new Department of Posts and Telegraphs, using domestic designs. These definitives were issued on 6 December 1922; the first was a 2d stamp, depicting a map of Ireland. Since then new images, and additional values as needed, have produced a total of nine series of definitives. These were the major stamp production for everyday use. Commemorative stamps first appeared in 1929, and these now appear several times a year, celebrating many aspects of Irish life, such as notable events and anniversaries, Irish life and culture, and many famous Irish people. Some definitive and commemorative stamps have been produced in miniature sheet, booklet and coil configurations in addition to the common sheet layout.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1385: Forces under João I defeated the Castilians in the Battle of Aljubarrota, ending the 1383–1385 Crisis in Portugal. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Aljubarrota)

1842: Seminole Indians were forced from Florida to Oklahoma, ending the Second Seminole War. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seminole_Wars)

1941: After a secret meeting aboard warships in a secure anchorage near Argentia, Newfoundland, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the Atlantic Charter, establishing a vision for a post-World War II world despite the fact that the United States had yet to enter the war. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Charter)

1994: Leftist revolutionary and mercenary Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, known as Carlos the Jackal, was handed over to French agents by his own bodyguards. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_the_Jackal)

2005: Helios Airways Flight 522 crashed into a mountain north of Marathon and Varnava, Greece, killing all 121 on board. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_Airways_Flight_522)

_____________________ Wiktionary's Word of the day:

synopsis: A brief summary of the major points of a written work, either as prose or as a table; an abridgment or condensation of a work. (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/synopsis)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

It's always worth while before you do anything to consider whether it's going to hurt another person more than is absolutely necessary. -- John Galsworthy (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Galsworthy)