About This Stamp
A self-taught mathematician and astronomer, Benjamin Banneker was probably the most accomplished African American of America’s colonial period. In 1753, he constructed the first wooden striking clock made in America. His studies and calculations in astronomy allowed him to successfully predict a solar eclipse in 1789 and to publish farmer’s almanacs in the 1790s. In 1791 he helped design and survey the city of Washington, D.C. The Benjamin Banneker stamp was issued February 15, 1980.
First Day of Issue Ceremony
First Day of Issue Date: February 15, 1980
First Day of Issue Location: Annapolis, MD