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About This Quiz
Do you collect postage stamps? If so, you might be able to identify these famous people who have appeared on U.S. postage stamps. But you don't have to be a collector to recognize these famous faces. Take this quiz to find out how many you can identify.
Postage stamps are essentially little pictures. After all, they'd be pretty boring if they were just one solid color. These tiny squares have played host to animals, people, buildings and depictions of events, but not just anyone can get their image on a stamp. You have to be a pretty important person to be immortalized on one.
But U.S. postage stamps have not always been a way to showcase pretty pictures. Until 1840, stamps were inked hand stamps - hence the use of the word "stamp." Stamps were relatively unnecessary until that time, because it was the recipient who paid for the mail to be delivered, not the sender. The collection of fees for stamps, instead of collecting from the recipient, enabled postal systems around the world to enact more efficient delivery and processing of mail. The ability to add a bit of decoration to the mail was merely a pleasant side effect of the development.
Can you ace this quiz? Let's get started.
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
John Adams
Abigail Adams
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin is the legendary American astronaut who was in the center of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission in 1969. The fearless lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin followed Neil Armstrong and walked on the moon on July 20, 1969.
Bud Abbott
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Ronald Reagan
In 1981, Ronald Reagan became the first actor ever to become a president of the USA. Previously a Hollywood actor, radio broadcaster, lieutenant and governor of California, he served two full terms as president.
Edwin Austin Abbey
Dante Alighieri
Louisa May Alcott
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Alvin Ailey
Ella Baker
Virginia Apgar
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was the first African-American athlete who made it to Major League Baseball. His persistence, along with numerous achievements, erased the blurred line between black and white athletes, once again proving that the 20th century was a time of big changes.
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Susan B. Anthony
Prior to participating in the women's voting rights movement, Susan B. Anthony worked as a teacher, but even then she tried to inspire girls and teach them to fight for their rights no matter what. This amazing woman devoted her entire life to racial, gender, and educational equality. Susan B. Anthony was dedicated to the cause until her very last breath.
Steve Allen
Marian Anderson
Fran Allison
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Harold Arlen
Louis Armstrong
Desi Arnaz
Elvis Presley
Not everyone knows it, but Elvis had an identical twin brother who was stillborn. When Elvis Presley was 11 years old, he bought his first guitar and was even offered a chance to sing live on a local radio show. However, the shy teenager rejected the offer, because at that time he was too afraid to perform in front of other people.
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Mildred Bailey
Babe Ruth
The legendary baseball player who played in Major League Baseball and established many records had a bunch of nicknames, including "The Sultan of Swat," "The King of Crash" and "The Great Bambino," that later inspired his most famous nickname, Babe. His real name is George Herman Ruth Jr.
Josephine Baker
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Lucille Ball
Theda Bara
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was not only a world famous poet, she is also the author of the first nonfiction best-seller by an African-American woman. Her achievements helped to break the color barrier, making it easier for black writers - especially females - to publish their work.
Samuel Barber
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Edgar Allan Poe
Even though he was also an editor and critic, Edgar Allan Poe is best known for his mystery poems and horror stories. Poe was one of the first authors in America who tried to make a living as a professional writer and show others that it's possible to earn money through writing only.
John Barry
Alexander Graham Bell
John Basilone
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Count Basie
Giovanni Bellini
The Beatles
Sacagawea
Sacagawea was the first and only female member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The young girl, who was around 16 years old at that time and pregnant, was invited to join the legendary expedition into the American West as a Shoshone interpreter. Despite her age and a baby, she proved to be helpful in many ways.
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong, a famous astronaut from Ohio, is known worldwide as the first person to walk on the moon. Besides, he and David Scott were the first astronauts ever to connect two spacecraft in orbit. Armstrong was the commander of Gemini VIII.
Lionel Barrymore
Jack Benny
Edgar Bergen
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Hiram Bingham IV
Emily Bissell
Rosa Parks
It all began when an African-American woman, Rosa Parks, refused to surrender her seat in a bus to a white passenger in 1955. A woman of action, she is now known as the “mother of the modern day civil rights movement†in the U.S. Her courageous act triggered a wave of protests in America and changed this country forever.
Ruth Benedict
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Frank Sinatra
An award-winning singer who changed the entertainment industry in the 20th century, Frank Sinatra is the singer of the iconic songs "Strangers in the Night" and "New York, New York." Besides, he was a successful actor who appeared in dozens of films and even won an Oscar as a supporting actor for the movie "From Here to Eternity."
Harlon Block
Montgomery Blair
Simón BolÃvar
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Charles E. Bohlen
Daniel Boone
Humphrey Bogart
Arthur Ashe
A lot of people know Arthur Ashe only as the successful tennis player. However, besides being the only African-American man to win Wimbledon, the U.S. and Australian Opens, Arthur was a great leader, humanitarian and educator who invested in many programs designed to introduce children from poor families to tennis.
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Nellie Bly
Jesse Owens
The African-American athlete Jesse Owens shook up the world when he won four gold medals during the 1936 Berlin Games, intended by Hitler to be a showcase of his racist ideas about Aryan supremacy. Jesse left his mark on the world not only as a four-time Olympic gold medalist, but also as the successful field athlete and the man who could set three world records in less than an hour.
Sandro Botticelli
Clara Bow
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
William Boyd
John Bradley
John Wayne
The prominent American actor, one of the brightest stars of Hollywood in the 20th century, Wayne made 162 feature films during his successful career.
Louis Brandeis
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Fanny Brice
Lucille Ball
The iconic redhead who became the first woman to run a big TV studio in Hollywood started her career early - she auditioned for her first movie at the age of 12. Lucille Ball is mostly known for her TV show "I Love Lucy," where Desi and Lucy became the first interracial couple on a screen.
Mary Carson Breckinridge
Pearl S. Buck
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Jim Bridger
Luther Burbank
John Burgoyne
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the only president in the history of the US who resigned his post, in 1974. He did so to avoid impeachment for covering up illegal activities, but was pardoned by President Ford the same year.
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Roy Campanella
Hank Williams
Meet one of the first country music superstars, the artist of the big hits "Cold, Cold Heart," "Your Cheatin' Heart," or "Hey, Good Lookin," that you can still hear on the radio. Despite his early death, Hank Williams had an outstanding career.
Walter Camp
Alexander Calder
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Which famous group is represented on this stamp?
Rolling Stones
The Beatles
They were an exceptional British rock band that shook the world! The Beatles were so popular that they caused Beatlemania, the intense fan frenzy directed towards the Beatles. The music icons earned 19 number-one albums on the Billboard charts!
Blue Oyster Cult
The Grateful Dead
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Paul Newman
A titan of Hollywood, Paul Newman was the handsome man with the most famous piercing blue eyes in movie history. The star died not long ago, in 2008, and is remembered as one of the most talented actors of the 20th century. He was a well-known philanthropist - he founded and owned a food company that donates all profits to charity.
Buzz Aldrin
Milton Berle
Alexander Graham Bell
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
John Bradley
Ruth Benedict
Luther Burbank
Malcolm X
A famous African-American leader, Malcolm X was a fearless and devoted advocate for the rights of black people in the U.S. He helped to change white America and their racist views in the '50s and '60s, until he was assassinated in 1965.
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Johnny Cash
This famous American singer-songwriter had a lot of sides career, including writing and acting. The legendary singer mixed various genres and was also known as a successful motion picture and TV star, but not everyone knows that he was also a talented author and an ordained minister.
Andrew Carnegie
Winston Churchill
Henry Clay
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Emily Dickinson
Virginia Dare
Elizabeth Bishop
Marilyn Monroe
The fearless, open and determined-to-succeed Marilyn Monroe played dumb blonde characters almost of all her career. Despite her difficult childhood, she rose to fame as an actress, singer and model, becoming one of the world's most enduring sex symbols. She inspired countless women to be more open about their sexuality.
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
George Washington
The first president of the U.S. was a legendary figure who helped create the country we know today. George Washington had an outstanding life and career full of extraordinary achievements that influenced the whole world.
Walt Disney
Frederick Douglass
John Foster Dulles
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Jan van Eyck
John Dewey
Wilt Chamberlain
The man could score 100 points during one game and, according to rumors, he slept with more than 20,000 women during his lifetime. Wilt was a man of many talents and achievements. After his professional basketball career ended, he started to play volleyball - his achievements earned him a place in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
George Eastman
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Albert Gallatin
Mickey Mantle
Mickey's energy and love for baseball made him a number-one baseball player, earning him a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The legendary New York Yankee was a restless athlete with immense talent, drive and passion.
Albert Einstein
Robert Fulton
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Benjamin Franklin
Walter F. George
David Wark Griffith
Mark Twain
A smart, fearless adventurer and writer, Twain is the author of the major American classics "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." In addition to his outstanding writing career, he was a pilot of a riverboat, professor, entrepreneur, humorist and inventor.
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Charlie Chaplin
The brightest star of the early Hollywood days, he had an interesting life and career. The comic actor from England popularized silent films and later became a filmmaker himself. His famous character was "The Tramp."
William Christopher Handy
Elias Howe
Herbert Hoover
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Which famous person does this stamp belong to?
Washington Irving
George Washington
Charles Lindbergh Air Mail Stamp
It's hard to find a young man who would be more determined to succeed than the pilot, inventor, explorer, writer and military officer Charles Lindbergh. At the age of 25, he entered his airplane, “The Spirit of St. Louis,†that took off on the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight.
Thomas Jefferson
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Mary Lyon
Shirley Temple
A beautiful child with curly blonde hair and a sweet smile, Shirley became one of the youngest and brightest stars of the Hollywood during the Great Depression and beyond. She sang, danced and acted from an early age - she appeared in more than 40 movies before the age of 12.
Sidney Lanier
Fiorello H. La Guardia
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Ray Charles
The man who pioneered the genre of soul music in the '50s, "Brother Ray," also known as "The Genius," experimented with gospel, jazz and blues to create the brand new music genre beloved by many.
Sybil Ludington
Walter F. George
Robert Frost
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
James Naismith
Millard Fillmore
Abraham Lincoln
He became the first Republican to win the presidency in 1861 and, honestly, it's hard to find an American president who's been more written about. He became known worldwide for his brave attempts to change the U.S., including issuing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
Brien McMahon
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Raphael
Mother Teresa
A brave nun who devoted all her life to help the poor, Mother Teresa is undoubtedly one of the kindest people of the previous century. She served as a living example to others. In 2016, this brave woman was canonized.
Gertrude "Ma" Rainey
Jackson Pollock
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Lily Pons
Dorothy Parker
Otis Redding
Julia Child
This charismatic woman who brought French cuisine to the U.S. was also a successful author of numerous cookbooks. She hosted the TV show "The French Chef" in the '60s and '70s. She won Peabody and Emmy Awards for her extremely popular cooking show.
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Martin Luther King Jr.
At the age of 35, Martin Luther King Jr., a man who devoted his life to fighting the racial inequality, received the Nobel Peace Prize for his important role in the American civil rights movement. He didn't accept the money he won, donating it to the civil rights movement.
Alden Partridge
Satchel Paige
Flannery O'Connor
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Sun Yat-sen
William Shakespeare
This playwright's works are known throughout the world and it seems that they will never get old - every decade or so some brave artist re-imagines his famous plays. Also known as the Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare is still the most prominent writer the English language has produced.
Malcolm X
Richard Wright
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Martin Van Buren
Walt Whitman
James Dean
James Dean was only 24 years old when he tragically died in a car accident, but he still remains one of Hollywood most famous stars and an icon of cool teenage rebellion.
Mark Twain
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Sonny Terry
Robert A. Taft
Buddy Holly
This '50s teen idol is a central figure of modern rock & roll. The music we know today would never exist without Buddy Holly, an insanely talented musician and experimenter.
Kate Smith
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Abraham Baldwin
Tris Speaker
John Tyler
Sitting Bull
Lakota Sioux Chief Sitting Bull was a brave man, devoted to protecting his land and his people. A fearless warrior, he led his tribe during years of resistance to American government.
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Walt Disney
Walt Disney is the mind behind the world famous corporation. His creativity and restless energy changed the American animation industry. He was a pioneer and an icon of the 20th century who created a whole new world, Disney World, from scratch.
Henry David Thoreau
Martin Van Buren
Ritchie Valens
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Wallace Stevens
George Washington
Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock is the director behind some of the best movies of all time, but he never won an Oscar for his work. The author of the greatest suspense thrillers, he later revealed that sometimes he was too afraid to watch his own movies. He often made cameo appearances in his films.
George Walton
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Sugar Ray Robinson
The career of this world famous boxer from Detroit spanned over 20 years. Even though his real name was Walker Smith Jr, he became known as Ray Robinson after using someone's else ID card to fight. At that time, he was still underage and not allowed to participate in a show.
Paul Strand
Vilhjalmur Stefansson
Elvis Presley
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Oliver Hazard Perry
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart is one of those strong and independent women of the 20th century who changed the course of history. She was the first female aviator to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean, back in 1932. Later, Amelia wrote a few best-selling books describing her experience, aimed at inspiring women all around the world.
ZaSu Pitts
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Jimi Hendrix
Even though his music career spanned only a few years, Jimi Hendrix will be always remembered as the world's greatest guitar hero. His talent and skills influenced modern music.
William Butler Ogden
Paul Newman
Jean Nicolet
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
James Michener
Bob Hope
A famous comedian whose career spanned decades, Bob Hope is also well-known as one of the best hosts of the Academy Awards. In addition to being a famous actor, he was a talented mimic, skilled vaudevillian, singer, dancer and athlete.
Vivien Leigh
Paolo de Matteis
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Martin Luther King Jr.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Kamehameha I of Hawaii
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century - he introduced the theory of relativity. Einstein's contributions to science and mathematics literally changed the world.
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Ernest Hemingway
The author of "The Old Man and the Sea," Ernest Hemingway, won the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize in Literature for his amazing novel. The writer started his career from scratch at age 17, working in a local newspaper in Kansas City. Only years later he became an influential writer, thanks to his first serious work, "A Farewell to Arms," a novel inspired by his wartime experiences.
Billie Holiday
Lewis Hine
Lyndon B. Johnson
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Grace Kelly
Audrey Hepburn
Icon of the 20th century, talented actress, Givenchy’s muse and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn was a woman of action. Even though she and Marilyn Monroe lived at the same time, their images and views were radically different. While Monroe was the rebellious sex icon, Hepburn was an example of the sophisticated and elegant classy woman.
Frida Kahlo
Alice Hamilton
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
David Wark Griffith
Bill Haley
F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald was a remarkable American novelist, the author of "The Great Gatsby," "Tender is the Night" and "This Side of Paradise." His debut novel sold out in just three days! At that time, the writer was only 23 years old and already a literary star.
Washington Irving
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Which famous person is shown on this stamp?
Judy Garland
One of the brightest stars of the 20th century, Judy Garland had a truly extraordinary life. She charmed her fans as Dorothy in 1939's "The Wizard of Oz," singing “Over The Rainbow†- the song that became #1 in the list of greatest movie songs by the American Film Institute. She was an an icon of the gay community for years. Unfortunately, the famous American singer and actress died from a barbiturate overdose when she was only 47 years old.
Ruby Hurley
Mahalia Jackson
Dorothea Lange
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