Also agreed, although it’s still my favorite war movie and my favorite law-related movie.
In play:
Michael Palin once appeared on Monty Python’s Flying Circus as French statesman Cardinal Richelieu lip-synching to a Petula Clark song; her hit “Downtown” was also prominently featured in a Seinfeld episode.
The Richelieu River, which drains Lake Champlain north to the St. Lawrence, was one of the major military routes during the wars between New France and the English colonies, as well as during the wars with the Iroquois. It also was a major commercial route, until railways came along.
It’s a very scenic river.
The city of Sorel-Tracy QC is at the confluence of the Richelieu River and the St. Lawrence River. NHL goalie Marc-André Fleury, currently playing for the Vegas Golden Knights and previously of the Pittsburgh Penguins, hails from Sorel-Tracy QC. During his 13 seasons with the Penguins he won Stanley Cup championships in 2009, 2016, and 2017.
The position of Governor General of the Province of Canada had an abnormally high mortality rate. Lord Sydenham, Sir Charles Bagot, and Sir Richard Jackson (Administrator), all died in office and are buried in Canada, (Jackson at Sorel), while Baron Metcalfe died of cancer shortly after his return to Britain. Earl Cathcart, the fourth GovGen, was the first to survive the governorship, living for an additional twelve years after his escape from the plague spot of Canada.
The title of governor general usually refers to the representative of the British monarch in independent Commonwealth realms. The exception to this is Iran, which has no connection with any monarchy. In Iran, the provincial authority is headed by a governor general.
In Commonwealth realms, the Governor General is the representative of the monarch of that country. Julie Payette, for example, is the representative of the Queen of Canada.
In the US, a foreign diplomat is known as an ambassador. For example, Richard Mills Jr is the current acting ambassador to Canada and Kirsten Hillman is Canada’s ambassador to the US.
(changing post)
The Washington Diplomats were a franchise in the North American Soccer League (NASL), joining the league as an expansion team in 1974.
The Diplomats, which were often referred to by the unfortunate nickname of “The Dips,” played in the NASL until 1980, when the franchise folded due to financial difficulties. Another NASL team, the Detroit Express, relocated to Washington for the 1981 season, and took on the Diplomats name, before they, too, folded after one season in Washington.
“Ambassador” is the highest-ranking diplomat at an embassy; under ambassadors, there are many subordinate ranks of diplomats. For example, under the Ambassador at the Egyptian Embassy in Washington, D.C. are found, in ascending order, several Diplomatic Attachés, a Third Secretary, Second Secretary, First Secretary, Counselor and Minister Plenipotentiary. The British Embassy contains all of these, as well as a Deputy Head of Mission. Other titles for functionary roles, such as press attaché or cultural attaché, are not considered not formal titles in diplomatic practice, but they are still ranked as part of the diplomatic corps.
Not in play
Although much later, another Governor-General who didn’t make it out of the plague spot alive, from post 2215 above:
John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir was a Scottish novelist, historian and politician who served as Governor General of Canada from 1935-1940.
He died of a head injury when he fell after suffering a stroke.
The nephew of one of Canada’s goverors-general is better-known to Americans than the GG himself. Raymond Massey starred for years in the Dr. Kildare TV series, but it was his uncle, Vincent Massey, who got depicted on Canadian postage stamps.
The world’s first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system was issued in Great Britain on May 1, 1840. The stamp featured a profile of Queen Victoria and cost one penny. Printed in black ink, the stamp quickly became known as the Penny Black. Over 68 million of these stamps were printed, and about 1.3 million are still in existence.
It has long been US Post Office (later US Postal Service, or USPS) policy not to release a stamp showing a clearly-recognizable image of a living person for at least ten years after they had died (current/former US Presidents are the sole exception, in that they can be depicted immediately upon their death) – although they have tap-danced around this a couple of times.
In 1966, the Post Office released a stamp commemorating the American Circus (Scott #1309), which featured a drawing of famous Ringling Brothers clown Lou Jacobs in full makeup; however, the official explanation was that they were depicting Jacobs’ clown persona and not a true image of Jacobs himself.
The other examples cited most often are the various Apollo Moon Landing stamps beginning with the “First Man on the Moon” airmail stamp of 1969 (Scott #C76). While it is readily obvious who these are meant to be showing (after all, there’s only been twelve guys up there!), since in most cases the figure’s helmet visor is either dark or reflective or the figure itself is at a sufficient distance, the Post Office/USPS again claims with a straight face that it is not a clearly recognizable image of a specific living person.
Or to put it another way … we all know who has been underneath the Darth Vader mask since the very first Star Wars movie, but we never really SEE that specific person – so in theory it could be anybody!
-“BB”-
In 1945, a stamp was issued showing the raising of the flag at Iwi Jima, and the identities of the marines were known, and still alive. The first woman shown on a US stamp was Spain’s Queen Isabella, on the 1892 Columbos commemorative pictorials.
There is still some controversy/discussion over this, not the least of which is “which flag-raising is being depicted?”
The battle of Iwo Jima had begun days earlier on February 19 1945, with an amphibious assault on Iwo Jima. The US troops fought their way to Mount Suribachi and captured it on February 23. Earlier in the day, the troops raised a small flag on the mountain’s peak, but an officer wanted them to raise a larger flag. So a small group of Marines climbed to the top of the mountain and raised the much larger flag. Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal was with the Marines and took the now-famous picture.
And even if they are indeed the five persons who have been commonly identified as being the flag-raisers, which one is which? Remember, the key words that seem to be the deciding factor in the Post Office/USPS guideline are “recognizable” and “identifiable”. If you look closely at the stamp, four of the five soldiers – whoever they may be – have their backs to the viewer (and the face of the fifth one is obscured by the hand/arm of one of the other flag-raisers), so no one person is immediately and readily identifiable. I could tell you that the fourth person from the right in the picture is actually a black female, and you’d have no way (from the image) of disproving it.
-“BB”-
Harriet Tubman, a black female born into slavery who escaped and helped other slaves escape via the Underground Railroad, was slated to be on the $20 in the United States. This was delayed by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin until after Trump leaves office. At the time it was not known if that would be 2021 or 2025.
Ninja’d.
The current portrait on the twenty-dollar bill is Andrew Jackson, the seventh US President. Prior to Jackson, the portrait on the $20 was Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th US President. Jackson first appeared on the bill in 1928. At that time, the portrait of Cleveland was placed on the new 1000-dollar bill, where it remains today. (At least, that’s what I read; I have no first-hand knowledge of said bill.)
Grover Cleveland Alexander was a star pitcher for several Major League Baseball teams, primarily the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs. Alexander was born in 1887, during the first presidential term of Grover Cleveland, and was named after the president.