The following are foreign dignitaries who have been featured as stamps' vignettes.

Foreign Dignitaries

ABDUL RAHMAN, TUNKU [1903-90] Founder of Malay nationalist movement
Stamps: A1965K25, A1973A222
Born February 8, was the first prime minister of independent Malaya (1957-63) and then (1963-70) of the successor state of Malaysia. The Tunku (or prince, in Malay) was a son of a sultan who ruled for more than 60 years in the state of Kedah. Educated in Malaya and Thailand, later attended Cambridge University and studied law at London's Inner Temple. Founded the United Malays National Organization (1945), architect of its alliance with the Malayan Chinese Association (1952) and the Malayan Indian Congress (1956) and helped to form what became the ruling Alliance party. Founding member (1961) the Association of Southeast Asia, consisting of Malaya, Thailand, and the Philippines, to resist the claims of Sukarno of Indonesia. It later became (1967) the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Suspended (1969) the constitution to curb agitation against the government's accommodation of the large Chinese and Indian minorities in Malaya. Retired 1970. Became (late 1980s) elder statesman in opposition to the policies of Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohammed. Died on December 6.

BADEN-POWELL, SIR ROBERT STEPHENSON SMYTH [1857-1941] Founder of Boy Scouts, British soldier
Stamps: A1982B22
First Baron Baden-Powell of Gilwell born on February 22. Won renown for holding Mafeking against a Boer siege for 217 days during the South African War (1899-1902). Organized the South African constabulary. Founded the Boy Scouts (1908) and, with his sister Agnes Baden-Powell, the Girl Guides (1909). Devoted the rest of his life to the scouting movement. Wrote many books on scouting. Died on January 8, 1941.

BUSH, GEORGE W. President of U.S.A.
Stamps: A2004B23,
Succeeded William "Bill" Clinton after a Supreme Court-decided 2000 US Presidential Election versus Al Gore. Instigated the War on Terror after the September 11 attack on the New York's World Trade Center.

BEATRIX [1938- ] Queen of Holland since 1980.
Stamps: A1965G04, A1973D23.1
Born January 31, 1938, succeeded to the throne of the Netherlands on April 30, 1980, on the abdication of her mother, Queen Juliana. Earned (1961) a doctorate in law at the University of Leiden. Her marriage (1966) to Prince Claus von Amsberg, a German diplomat, aroused some initial opposition. The eldest of their three sons, Prince Willem Alexander, is heir presumptive to the throne.

BHUHIMOL, ADULYADEJ King of Thailand since 1946.
Stamps: A1965F12, A1972E29.2
Also known as Rama IX [ninth ruler of the Chakri dynasty dating back to 1782]. Educated in Switzerland, succeeded to the throne in 1946 following the death of his brother, King Ananda Mahidol, and was formally crowned in 1950. A popular and revered constitutional monarch, used the symbolic powers of his throne and his own moral authority to defuse dangerous political crises over the course of his long reign, and has been a stabilizing influence in the perennial contest between military and democratic forces in Thailand. His reign has been marked by economic advances that have placed Thailand among the most prosperous nations of Southeast Asia. Thailand celebrated from June 1995 to June 1996 the 50th anniversary of the king's accession. SIRIKIT, Queen of Thailand, wife of King Bhumibol.

CALDER, ALEXANDER (1898-1976) US Kinetic sculptor
Stamps: A1970J05
Born to sculptor Stirling Calder in Philadelphia on July 22, 1898. Studied mechanical engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology (graduating 1919) before enrolling in the Art Students League of New York (1923-26). Influenced by the constructivist Naum Gabo and leading representatives of abstract art. Attracted European attention with his novel wood and wire creations, especially the Circus group of 1927 (Whitney Museum, New York City). Experimented (1930) with abstraction after visiting Piet Mondrian's Paris studio. Created (1931) a dynamic sculpture through freestanding, mechanically driven structures. Synthesized (1932) surrealism by making the delicately balanced, wind-propelled constructions of painted sheet-aluminum, brass, or steel wired together (called "mobiles" by Marcel Duchamp) with which his name has since become synonymous. Died November 11, 1976,

CHIANG KAI-SHEK [1887-1975] Chinese soldier and stateman.
Stamps: A1967L30,
Born in Chekiang (Zhejiang) province, on October 31. d. Apr. 5, 1975, headed the Nationalist government in China and on the island of Taiwan. Communism. Joined (1908) a revolutionary organization devoted to the overthrow of the Qing (Ch'ing, or Manchu) dynasty, an effort that succeeded in 1911-12. Allied (1920) with Sun Yat-sen, who built up the Kuomintang (Guomindang; Nationalist party) at Canton (Guangzhou) with Soviet aid. Made commandant (1924) of the party's Whampoa (Huangpo) Military Academy, and his power as a military leader grew rapidly after Sun's death in 1925. Accomplished military unification of China (1926-28), headed its Nationalist government (1928-49) at Nanking (Nanjing). Led Chinese government-in-exile in Taiwan from 1949, following collapse of the Koumintang government to Communism, and ruled until his death.

CLINTON, WILLIAM JEFFERSON 42nd US President (1992- )
Stamps: A1994K12
Governor of Arkansas (1979-81, 1983-93) before winning the US presidential election in 1992. The first Democratic president to win two terms since Franklin Roosevelt. Clinton won election in 1992 by championing the interests of the middle class and was reelected in 1996 as the protector of middle-class entitlements against zealous Republican budget-cutters.

COLUMBUS, CHRISTOPHER [1451-1506] Navigator, discoverer of New World.
Stamps: A1980B14
Born Cristoforo Colombo (Cristobal Colon in Spanish) in Genoa, Italy in 1451. Sought (1484) support for an exploratory voyage from King John II of Portugal, but he was refused. Left (August 3, 1492) Palos for the first voyage under Isabella's patronage, rerigged the Nina in the Canaries, and sailed to the west, making landfall at an island in the Bahamas, naming it San Salvador. Set (Sept. 25, 1493) sail from Cadiz on his second Spanish-funded voyage and established Santo Domingo, the first permanent European settlement in the New World. Made (July 31, 1498) landfall on Trinidad. The next day he reached the mainland and thus discovered South America. Mounted (May 1502) a fourth expedition, made a landfall at Martinique, and sailed to Santo Domingo, along the coast past Panama, finally heading again for Santo Domingo. Abandoned ships in Jamaica, where Columbus was marooned for a year. Died in Valladolid on May 20, 1506, while pressing his claims at court.

CUPID / EROS
Stamps: A1992B10.1, A1996B09
Eros of Greek mythology and philosophy, known as Cupid or Amor in Roman mythology. In the Theogony of Hesiod (c.750 BC), Eros impregnated Gaea (mother earth), and their offspring were Uranus (heaven), the sea, and mountains. The Birds of Aristophanes contains another theogony, in which Chaos and darkness first existed. Then night laid an egg in darkness, and Eros was hatched. Finally, Eros fertilized Chaos, who gave birth to ocean, heaven, earth, and all the gods. Among some early Greek philosophers, Eros was love, the force responsible for all creation--if present--and for all destruction--if absent. As a young, playful god, he was often referred to as a son of Aphrodite and was frequently depicted as causing love by shooting a gold-tipped arrow. Many of his antics are related in the Aeneid of Vergil and in the Metamorphoses of Ovid. In art, he is usually depicted with wings, carrying a bow and wearing a quiver of arrows.

DE LEGAZPI, ROY MIGUEL LOPEZ Spanish navigator.
Stamps: A1971E03, A1985F04
Led the 1564 expedition to the Philippines. Established the first Spanish town (Villa de San Miguel, now Cebu) in the archipelago.

EISENHOWER, GEN. DWIGHT [1890-1969] 34th US President (1953-61)
Stamps: A1960L30,
In World War II he became supreme commander and was responsible for the D-day invasion of Europe. His Republican administration saw strong anti-Communist sentiment. led by Senator McCarthy.

JANSENN, BLESSED ARNOLD
Stamps: A1988E22,

KARPOV, ANATOLY YEVGENIEVICH [1951 - ] Russian chessmaster, World Champion (1975-85)
Stamps: A1978G17
Born May 23, 1951. Won (1969) the world junior championship and a year later became the world's youngest international grand master. Awarded (1975) the world championship by default, after Bobby Fischer refused to defend his title. Retained (1978, 1981) the world title against Russian expatriate Viktor Korchnoi. Lost (1985) the title to his countryman Gary Kasparov; in later attempts, unable to recapture the chess championship title. Declared (1993) champion when Kasparov defied the game's governing body; however, the chess world is divided on the merits of Karpov's claim to the title. His game is noted for economy and precision.

KENNEDY, JOHN FITZGERALD [1917-63] 35th US President (1960-63)
Stamps: A1965E29, A1972I29.3, A1973F04
Elected, at the age of 43, as the youngest man and the first Roman Catholic ever to the presidency. Rich, handsome, elegant, and articulate, he aroused great admiration at home and abroad. His presidency saw several near-catastrophes: the failed Bay of Bigs invasion of Cuba (1961) and the Cuban missile crises (1962). Assassinated (November 26, 1963) by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas, provoking outrage and widespread mourning.

KING CARLOS I (1500-58)
Stamps: A2002I06,
Became king of Spain in 1516 (after 1519 the Emperor Charles V of the Holy ROman Empire) and brought Habsburg domination to Europe. Abdicated in 1555, the Habsburg realms were divided between what became the Austrian and Spanish branches of the family.

KHOMAN, THANAT Signatory of ASEAN
Stamps: A1997H07,

KOCH, ROBERT [1843-1910] German bacteriologist
Stamps: A1982L07,
Born on December 11. Made many contributions to bacteriology, including his important discovery (1882) of the bacillus responsible for tuberculosis. Awarded the 1905 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine for his work. Discovered (1876) the anthrax bacillus and later found a way of preventing the disease through preventive inoculation. Worked in Africa in the early 1900s, studying the transmission of several diseases, including African sleeping sickness. Achievements include his development of improved microscopic techniques and bacterial staining and culturing methods. Set forth four principles known as Koch's Postulates, for locating disease-causing microorganisms, now considered fundamental in bacteriology. Died on May 27, 1910.

KORCHNOI, VIKTOR Russian expatriate, chess master
Stamps: A1978G17
Formidable opponent of Anatoly Karpov. Lost the world title to Karpov during games in 1978 and 1981.

LOPEZ MATEOS President of the Mexico
Stamps: A1963I28, A1972K23,

LÜBKE, DR. HEINRICH 2nd Federal Republic of Germany President [1959-69]
Stamps: A1965D19,

MacARTHUR, GEN. DOUGLAS [1880-1964]
US general and commander of Allied Forces in the Far East in WWII. Liberator of the Philippines.
Stamps: A1948B03, A1967E06, A1980A26, S1980A26, A1994I15, S1992K10
Born to Lt. Gen. Arthur MacArthur, (a Medal of Honor winner, a hero of the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and the Philippine Insurrection), in Little Rock, Arkansas on January 26. Graduated (1903) from West Point with the highest honors in his class. Served as chief of staff, brigade leader, and then commander of the 42d (Rainbow) Division of the Allied Expeditionary Force in France during World War I and the occupation army at Koblenz, Germany. Became superintendent (1919-22) at West Point. Headed (1928) the U.S. Olympic Committee. Advanced (1930) to full general upon becoming army chief of staff in 1930. Appointed (1935) military advisor to the Philippines, and a year later President Manuel Quezon named him field marshal of the Philippine Army. Retired (1937) from the U.S. Army, and until 1941 built up the Philippine Army strength despite a paucity of funds. Became (March 1942) supreme allied commander in the Southwest Pacific theater. Decisively defeated (August 1945) the Japanese forces on Luzon. Made (April 1945) commander of all U.S. Army forces in the Pacific. Accepted (September 2, 1945.) the surrender of Japan aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Governed (1945-51) autocratically but progressively as director of the Allied occupation of Japan. Named UN commander-in-chief of the Korean War (1950-51) after North Korean troops invaded South Korea in June 1950. Tried (1952) unsuccessfully for the US presidency. Completed his Reminiscences (1964) shortly before his death on April 5, 1964.

MALIK, ADAM Signatory of ASEAN
Stamps: A1997H07,

NAKASONE, YASUHIRO Prime Minister of Japan (1982-1987)
Stamps: A1983F20
Born May 27, 1918. Member of the right wing of the ruling Liberal-Democratic party. Served in the lower house of parliament and held a number of high government and party posts in the 1960s and 1970s. Succeeded Suzuki Zenko as prime minister with the backing of former prime minister Tanaka Kakuei. Insisted that Japan play an active role in international affairs befitting its stature as a world economic power. Led his party to a landslide victory in the July 1986 parliamentary election, a party rule requiring his retirement in 1986 was changed to extend his term. Succeeded as party leader and prime minister by Takeshita Noboru.

PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973) Father of Cubism
Stamps: A2003F30
Considered one of the greatest artists in history. He is the Father of Cubism (1907), "Las Senoritas de Avinon". He experimented in all styles and techniques in art and contributed decisively in the unfurling of contemporary art.

RAJARATNAN, S. Signatory of ASEAN
Stamps: A1997H07,

RAZAL, TUN ABDUL Signatory of ASEAN
Stamps: A1997H07,

REAGAN, PRES. RONALD [1911- ] 40th US President (1981-89).
Stamps: A1982L18, S1982L18S
Film actor turned Republican politician, deregulated the economy and cut federal spending and taxes (Reaganonomics). He initiated Star Wars Defense system. REAGAN, MRS. NANCY, First Lady of Ronald Reagan.

ROOSEVELT, FRANKLIN DELANO [1882-1945] 32nd US President (1933-45).
Stamps: 1947H19, A1950E22,
Greatly expanded the role of the federal government which countered the Great Depression of the 1930s through economic interventions (New Deal). He also led the nation through most of its participation in the global struggle of World War II.

SAMARANCH, JUAN ANTONIO Spanish diplomat, president of the International Olympic Committee
Stamps: A1981L03,
Born July 17, 1920. Graduated from the Higher Institute of Business in Barcelona, was Spain's ambassador to the Soviet Union and Mongolia when the 83d session of the IOC selected him to succeed Lord Killanin as the head of the Olympic movement. Previously president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (1967-70). Became a member of the IOC in 1966 and served as chief of protocol and as a commissioner for press and public relations before joining (1970) the IOC executive board. Assumed (1980) IOC presidency, following the United States-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Games.

SANTA CLAUS, ST. NICK a.k.a. Father Christmas
Stamps: A1982L10
A legendary fat white-bearded old man dressed in a red coat or robe figure who supposedly brings presents to children on Christmas Eve. An American adaptation of European traditions concerning Saint Nicholas. Introduced into America by the Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam. The name Santa Claus is a contraction of the Dutch Sint Nikolaas (Sinter Klaas). Most of the central features of the Santa Claus legend, such as his climb down the chimney and the switches he leaves for naughty children, are of Dutch origin. His red suit trimmed with white fur originated in the bishop's miter and cope worn by the Dutch saint. His association with reindeer and the North Pole, however, apparently came from Scandinavia. Male and female European counterparts of Santa Claus include the English Father Christmas, the German Kris Kringle, the Italian Befana, and Russia's grandmotherly Babouschka.

STEPHAN, HENRICH von Founder of Universal Postal Union (UPU)
Stamps: A1981A30, A1997J24.1,
The Universal Postal Union (UPU) was established in 1875 under the Universal Postal Convention of 1874 and became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1948. The UPU's permanent headquarters is at Bern, Switzerland. It provides information and technical advice to assist cooperating nations in improving their postal services. In 1994 it had 186 members.

SUKARNO, ACHMED [1901-70] Indonesian stateman and president (1949-66).
Stamps: A1953J05, A1965K25, A1973A22
Born as Kusnasosro on June 6, 1901, Earned a degree in civil engineering at Bandung Technical College, where he was chairman of the General Study Club, which advocated noncooperation with the Dutch colonial regime. Founded (1928) the Indonesian Nationalist party, evolving from the club. Exiled and imprisoned several times by the Dutch in the 1930s. Led a war against Dutch rule (1945-49). Proclaimed (August 17, 1945) Indonesia's independence, just after World War II ended. As president, initially followed a neutralist foreign policy and hosted (1955) the Afro-Asian Bandung Conference, yet, dissolved (1959) the elected parliament and proclaimed (1963) himself president for life. Deposed in 1967, after implication in a Communist-instigated attack (Sept. 30, 1965) on the country's top military leaders. Forced to retire (1968) from political life in 1968, Suharto became president. Died on June 21, 1970.

THOMPSON, J. WALTER
Stamps: A1997E20,

YAMASHITA, TOMOYUKI (1885-1946] Japanese military commander in WW II
Stamps: A1995L15, S1995L27.2,
Born November 8, 1885. Headed (1939) forces in northern China and later led the successful Malayan campaign, taking Singapore in February 1942. Made a general in 1943, Yamashita was sent to Manchuria; in September 1944 he assumed the defense of the Philippines, which he surrendered on September 2, 1945. Although the evidence of his role in atrocities was not conclusive, a U.S. Army tribunal found him guilty, and he was tried and hanged for war crimes on February 23, 1946.