Dates and events

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Wrong date
Commemoration of the independence of the country. The wrong date 1968 was of course soon corrected into 1960.


NAURU 1968



Wrong commomeration
King John coould not read nor write, and thus was unable to sign the MAGNA CARTA


GIBRALTAR 1968



Wrong commemoration
On his way to Sweden, President Tubman chose to stay in Paris, and never went to Sweden !


LIBERIA 1958



Wrong commemoration
When Colombus arrived in America, he was not accompanied by a priest !


SPAIN 1930



Wrong commemoration
The Judo worldchampionship, foreseen in September 1977 in Barcelona, was cancelled for political reasons.


SPAIN 1977



Wrong commemoration
During the Wilderness battle the smog was so heavy that no cannons could be used.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA



Wrong commemoration
The West Africa Cup was cancelled short after this stamp was issued.


GHANA 1959



Wrong commemoration
Celebration of the centenary of the baseball game. But it is proven that this game already existed in England in 1744.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1939



Wrong commemoration
Celebration of the Texas centennial in 1936. But it was only in 1845 that Texas became part of the United States


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1936



Wrong design
Centennial of the discovery of gold by James B. Marshall at Suttons Field : the stamp shows the site with a large double-trunked tree of a species not even found in this area at that date.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1948



Why planes ?
There were no planes in the sky during the parade organized to celebrate the liberation of Paris.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1945



Changed design
The design of this stamp was based on a painting by Benjamin West. However 3 people were removed and one added.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1983



Nice story, but …
Stamp commemorating the ride of Sybil Ludington, telling the story on the back of the stamp. This story however has no real historical ground.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1975



Wrong side !
Stamp picturing the Destroyer Reuben James sunk by a German submarine … seen from a periscope which experts say never was on a German submarine, but belongs to an Allied ship !


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1991



Wrong count
As the Games of 1916, 1940 and 1944 did not take place, The Munich games were the 17th Olympiade, not the 20th.


FRANCE 1972



Wrong time
This spatial vessel landed on the moon exactly at 22h02min24sec. The DDR stamp is correct, the stamp from Hungary missed the landing by 10 seconds


HUNGARY 1959



Wrong count.
Virgilius was born in 70 before Christ. As after the year 1 before Christ follows the year 1 after Christ, this 2.000th anniversary was commemorated one year too early.


ITALY 1930



Early anniversary.
In 1941, the 1OOth anniversary of this université was commemorated. But twenty years later, they already celebrated the 150th anniversary !


NORWAY



Wrong commemoration
This stamp of 1976 commemorates the 200th anniversary of the American Constitution, which was not signed until September 17th 1787.


SPAIN 1976



Wrong and inverted.
This is not the first landing on the moon on July 21st 1969, but an inverted picture of James Irving, taken during the Apollo 15 mission in 1971


SAN MARINO 1993



Too late
The Légion d'Honneur was created in 1802. The celebration of its 150th anniversary in 1954 thus was two years late.


FRANCE 1954



One year too early.
Stamp issued in 1970 to commemorate the centenary of the first stamp. This first stamp however was issued in 1871.


AFGHANISTAN 1970



Not quite correct !
Stamp issued to commemorate the discovery of the Cook Islands by Captail Cook. But Captain Cook was not welcomed by the inhabitants and had to run away.


AITUTAKI 1920



Wrong plane
10th anniversary of the flight over the South pole by Argentina. This was done by Douglas DC3 planes, not by the featured bombers.


ARGENTINA 1973



Wrong revolution
The painter Delacroix was born in 1798, and painted the Revolution of 1830, not the French Revolution of 1789.


ARGENTINA 1989



One year too early
Stamp issued in 1934 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city of Melbourne. The city however was founded in 1835, not in 1834.


AUSTRALIA 1934



Wrong commemoration
Stamp issued in 1951 to commemorate '100 year Responsible Government in Victoria'. The Constitution, however, was only adopted in 1855.


AUSTRALIA 1951



Modernisation
The British registration letters G-AUSU in 1928 were substituted with the Australian VH-USU letters of 1958. And in 1928, this plane had only two-bladed propellers, not three as shown here.


AUSTRALIA 1958



Wrong location
The place where Governor Phillips planted the flag 300 years ealier was not situated near the coast, but more than 1 mile iside the country.


AUSTRALIA 1979



Wrong uniform
When Pelé scored his 1000th goal, he was not playing for the Brazilian team, but for his home team Santos.


BRAZIL 1969



60 or 75 ?
Barbados belonged to the British Empire. In England, a Diamant anniversary means 60 years, not 75.


BARBADOS 1986



Wrong name
Commemoration of the first Belgian stamp. In the lower left corner, the name of the engraver was added : Jacques WIENER. In fact the first dies of this stamps were prepared by the Englishman J.H. ROBINSON.


BELGIUM 1925



Wrong years
Schumacker : as the years he became worldmaster were wrong, a new stamp was issued.


AUSTRIA 2006



Wrong celebration
500th anniversary of the Tudor dynasty : but the Queen Mother descends from the Glomis, and King Georg VI from the Windsor House.


BELIZE 1984



Not the right person
Wilfred LAURIER was chosen to illustrate a stamp commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Confederation. Even if he became Prime Minister, at the time of the Confederation he was a journalist strongly opposed to it.


CANADA 1927



Wrong anniversary
The celebration of the 200th anniversary of this postal service in 1963 is not correct as it started in fact in 1693 and was officially recognised in 1705.


CANADA 1963



Wrong flag
The Scottish settlers could not carry the Royal Banner at their arrival in Canada, as this flag was only allowed to accompagny the king himself.


CANADA 1973



Wrong place
This stamp commemoratiing the First Internationalwas intended to show St Martin's Hall, Long Acre, where the International Working People Union was founded in 1864. By mistake this stamp bears an illustration of the St Martins-in-theField's church ar Trafalgar square.


CHINA 1964



Wrong bicycle
This is a competition bicycle. But at the 2nd national Worker's game in 1985, it was decided to use ordinary bicycles.


CHINA 1985



Wrong name
The girls are wearing shirts marked 'worker'. However no team was actually called a worker team, the shirts had the name of the participating regions and associations.


CHINA 1985



Wrong route
The route taken by Magellan, during his trip around the world is not accurate. Particularly his stop at Rio de Janeiro is not mentioned.


COOK ISLANDS 1975



Two years too late
Celebration of 100 year egyptian railways in 1956, but a railway already was in use in 1854 between Cairo and Alexandria.


EGYPT 1957



One year too late
The French National Academy of Medecine was founded in 1820. So this stamp, issued in 1971 to celebrate the 150th anniversary came one year too late.


FRANCE 1971



Wrong anniversary
The Systema Naturae was written in 1735. Commemorate the 200th anniversary on a stamp issued in 1958 isvery strange.


GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 1958



Much too early
Stamp issued in 1965 to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Leipzig Spring Fair. Although Leipzig was founded in 1165, the fair privileges where only given by Maximilian I in 1497.


GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 1965



Too early
Documents show that this castel alreaydy existed in 1080, not earlier.


GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 1966



Much later
The Leipziger Messe was founded by Maximilian I in 1497, not in 1165.


GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 1965



Not so old
'Leipziger Messe 800 Jahre' : Leipzig was founded in 1165, but the Fair got its privileges from Maximilian I only in the year 1497.


GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 1964



Cancelled
Stamp issued to commemorate the ‘Reichsparteitag des Friedens’ in 1939. But as the war had already started, the event was cancelled,


GERMANY 1939



Wrong period
The stamp claims to illustrate the year 1475, the armours however are from the 16th century which can be seen at the knee protection and the types of lances.


GERMANY 1975



Not a member
In 1972, TONGA (red flag with a red cross onb a white square) was not a member of the South Pacific Commission.


GILBERT AND ELLICE ISLANDS 1972



Wrong city
The 20th Summer Olympic Games in 1972 were held in Munich, not in Ausburgo.


GUINEA 1972



Hidden error
33th anniversary instead of 46th. The error was detected and the wrong figure hidden by a golden strip.


AFGHANISTAN 1964



Missing century
This stamp marks the bicentenary (not the centenary) of the birth of Stradivarius (1644-1737).


ITALY 1937



Five centuries
This stamp marks the 600th anniversary, not the centenary as labelled, of the death of Giotto di Bordone (1266-1337).


ITALY 1937



One year too late
This stamp commemorates an anniversary in 1963, but was only issued in 1964.


ITALY 1964



Two anniversaries
Two anniversaries for the same organisation ? The Salvation Army was fouded in 1865 as the Christian Mission and did not adopt its present name till1878.


JAMAICA 1965/8



Not historical correct
Jesus Garcia Corona heroically drove his burning train loaded with dynamite, out of the city of Nacozari, where it exploded, killing Garcia and only twelf others, instead of half the city. The hero however did not die in the arms of is wife, in fact no parts of his body were recovered.


MEXICO 1957



Nor credible
100 years of brewing in Mexico ? Must have been much longer !


MEXICO 1990



Impossible
Five centuries of mining in Mexico ? As can be proven by the many objects in gold, silver, and bronze, this cannot be correct.


MEXICO 1991



Two errors
When captain Cook landed at Poverty Bay, his ship was ancored half a mile from the shore, not close as on the stamp. And the man are pushing and pulling the boat in opposite directions.


NEW ZEALAND 1935



Not original
Stamp comemorating a landing of troops at Anzac Cove Gallipoli during the first world war. But the soldier is from a photograph of a 1936 soldier in old uniform, and the beach is actually Karaka Bay, in Wellington harbor.


NEW ZEALAND 1936



Strange commemoration
Roberto Sacasa was president from 5 Aug 1889 till 1 Jan 1891 and from 1 Mar 1891 till 11 Jul 1893. It is strange to issue a stamp to celebrate the last day of his presidency.


NICARAGUA 1903



One year later
This battle took place in 1777, not in 1776.


MONTSERRAT 1976



Wrong number
When Admiral Blight was cast adrift from the Bounty by the mutineers, he was accompgnied by eightteen companions, not three.


PITCAIRN ISLANDS 1967



Very old
Stamp issued to celebrate the 90th anniversary of TITO. But the stamp mentions 90+ centenario what means 90th centenary of ... 9000 years.


SAINT TOME AND PRINCIPE 1982



No historical link
The death of Davy Crockett in The Alamo, though a heroic event, can hardly be linked to one of the visits of the Halley comet.


UGANDA 1985



Premature commemoration
Stamp issued to mark the National Recovery Act in 1933. But this Act was declared unconstitutional and thrown out by the Supreme Court in 1935. Furthermore a man with a missing leg.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1933



Missing flag
General Leclerc had declared that he would not enter Strasbourg again, without the French flag at the top of the cathedral. This was forgotten on this stamp, not on others.


FRANCE 1969



Wrong direction
The city GAETA was disctructed by cannon fire from the sea and the beach. On the stamp the canon are firing to the open sea.


ITALY 1961



Not present
Greece, Norway and Armenia did not partecipate to the World Cup 2006.


ARMENIA 2006



Wrong clothes
The sign the Treaty of Waitangi was reported by an eye-witness who reported that 'Captain Hobson came in civilian clothes, having no time to don more of his uniform than a cocked hat'. On the stamp however, he his featured in full military uniform.


NEW ZEALAND 1940



Wrong clothing
The sign the Treaty of Waitangi was reported by an eye-witness who reported that 'Captain Hobson came in civilian clothes, having no time to don more of his uniform than a cocked hat'. On the stamp however, he his featured in full military uniform ... without hat.


NEW ZEALAND 1974



Not present
Landing of Lewis and Clark on the banks of the Mississippi in 1804. Behind stand their guide, the ShoshoneIndian girl Sacagawea and her husband Charbonneau, a Canadian trapper, who in fact did not join until the following month.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1954



Wrong ship, wrong year
Stamp showing the Koenigsberg at Aldabra in 1915. However the ship that was portrayed is in fact the Koenigsberg II, and the date should have been 1914, not 1915.


SEYCHELLES 1969



Not the first
Labeling the flights of the Wright Brothers the 'first powered flights' is not quite correct, as a lot of people before them experimented with flying engines.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1953



Out of proportion
This stamp commemorates the centenary of the constuction of a Niagara railway bridge, The mention 'A century of Friendship United States - Canada' is out of proportion.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1948



During the night
General Washington and his army crossed the East River under cover of darkness and in dense fog, not in bright daylight as shown.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1951



Not historical
The horns on the Viking's helm are a modern artist imagination, they never existed in reality.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1982



Not historical
The horns on the Viking's helm are a modern artist imagination, they never existed in reality.


SWEDEN 1983



Twenty years before
Centenary of trade by mail, but already in 1850 some postal trade offices already existed in the Main.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1972



One year too late
Louis Pasteur was born in 1822. Why wait till 1973 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birthday ?


FRANCE 1973



Missing country
This stamp honours the Liberators of France, but forgets the Canadian flag, despite the thousands of Canadese soldiers that partecipated to D-Day.


FRANCE 1994



Wrong inscription
Wrong : 200 anniversary of the birthday of the inventer of braille's alphabet - More correct should be : 200th anniversary of the birth of the inventor of Braille's alphabet.


SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC 2008



Too early
Stamp issued in 1934 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of São Paulo . The city however was founded in 1554.


BRAZIL 1934



Wrong quote
Armstrong made an error while pronouncing his historical words : instead of 'That is one small step for a man', he said 'That is one small step for man'.


AJMAN



Wrong commemoration
This is not the commemoration of 100 year of Labour Movement, but the celebration of 100 years Swedish Socialist Party.


SWEDEN 1989



Not the first
The first projection of motion pictures did not take place in America in 1894, but in France in 1895.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1944



Two years ealier
The first settlers already arrived in Connecticut in 1633.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1935



Unclear commemoration
The stamp did not mention us the real reason of the issue : the first birth in America of a child born from English parents.


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1937



Wrong celebration
The stamp celebrates the harvest, but the farmers are ploughing, not harvesting.


CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC 1989



Inadapted backgroung
In the background, some streetviews of the city of Atlanta, although no football match was played in that city at the Olympic Games of 1994..


GUINEA 1994



Additional mast
The Nina, used by Columbus for his discovering trip to America had only two masts.


ANDORRA 1992



Wrong type
Centennial stamp of 1954 showing an engine with a cab, that was not in use before 1861.


NORWAY 1954



Less panache
Napoleon leading his army through the St Bernard Pass on a white horse? Maybe on a painting of David. In fact, he travelled more safely, but with less panache, on a ... mule !


CHAD 1970



Wrong commemoration
The first manned ascension in a balloon already took place in France in 1783, not in Russia in 1731.


RUSSIA 1956



Copy/paste
According to this stamp, Neil Armstrong´s famous words, when he touched the moon surface, seem to have been copied from Columbus 500 years ago !


COMORO ISLANDS



Wrong commemoration
The Portuguese airline carrier was founded in 1945 and privatised in 1953. The commemoration of the 35th anniversary in 1979 is not correct.


PORTUGAL 1974



Wrong commemoration
The Portuguese airline company was founded in 1945, and became a private company in 1953. The commemoration of the 10th anniversary in 1963 is thus not correct.


PORTUGAL 1963



Wrong date
The reunification of Germany took place on October 3rd 1990, not on November 10th 1989


NIGER 1991



Wrong anniverary
20th anniversary in 1988, however the first landing on the moon took place in 1969


GUYANA 1988