Royal Mail has prepared its special stamp program for the coming year including historic figures and events that will be honored by special philatelic items.
Although now privatised, the company will continue its tradition of highlighting British national symbols on stamps, with January‘s set a memorial to Shackleton’s epic Antarctic voyage 100 years ago to get help for his stranded crew.
Other themes will include the Great Fire of London, William Shakespeare, Agatha Christie, the Queen’s 90th birthday and the first world war.
Shackleton has become a model for British leadership largely because of his achievement in keeping his team together during a near two-year ordeal in the Antarctic after their mission to traverse the continent went awry.
The expedition began in August 1914, but by January 1915 their ship, Endurance, had become stuck in sea ice and eventually sank, leaving the crew stranded for months until they were able to reach the uninhabited Elephant Island.
Along with six companions, Shackleton then braved a voyage of 720 nautical miles in an open boat to the whaling stations of South Georgia to get help for his crew. They were finally rescued in August 1916.
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