Millennium 51 : Dr. Hans Selye - Documenting the Stress of Life

[This post is another in a series  profiling each of the 68 stamps issued by Canada Post Corporation on September 15, 1999 on the occasion of the new Millennium. ]

Canada Post issued a stamp for its "Millenniun Collection" honoring Vienna-born endocrinologist Hans Selye (1907-1982) whose scientific work at the Université de Montréal  greatly increased our understanding of the biological factors causing stress and of how to control it.

The Canadian Institute of Stress , founded by Dr. Selye, provides this biography on its website:

Hans Selye is internationally acknowledged as "the father of the stress field" and, as such, a Canadian resource to the world. Since publishing the first scientific paper to identify and define "stress" in 1936, Dr. Selye wrote more than 1700 scholarly papers and 39 books on the subject. At the time of his death in late 1982, his work had been cited in more than 362,000 scientific papers, and in countless popular magazine stories, in most major languages and in all countries worldwide. He is still by far the world's most frequently cited author on stress topics. 

 Dr. Selye gained enduring international respect not only for his scientific innovations, but equally for his commitment to sharing the practical benefits of his work with everyday people. Two of his books, "The Stress of Life" and "Stress Without Distress" were unequalled bestsellers (the latter in 17 languages). His collaborative research with Dr. Richard Earle, resulted in his two final contributions "Stress and the Workplace" and "Your Vitality Quotient".

Selye Correspondence 1944

The postcard shown below, signed by Dr. Selye. is a request for a reprint of a scientific article written by Dr. R. Choisy in Rev. Med. de la Suisse Romande.

Montreal to Geneva Switzerland,  September 12, 1944



Millennium Stamp Formats

1.  Millennium Collection Album

The 68 Millennium stamps were first issued in a hardbound book, Canada Post The Millennium Collection : Expressions of a People, on September 15, 1999. The stamps were printed perforated with two stamps per page. 

The Millennium Collection book and the stamps printed in the book have not been recognized by the Unitrade Specialized Catalogue of Canadian Stamps  because  of the "limited edition" (200,000 books) and the "excessive surcharge over face value". The book which sold for $59.99 contained stamps with a total face value of  $40.28.

The Dr. Hans Selye and Maude Abbott stamps were printed on the same page.

2. Millennium Collection Souvenir Sheet

Canada Post Corporation re-issued the Millennium stamps in panes of 4 stamps (recognized by stamp catalogues) issued over a three month period from December 17, 1999 to March 17, 2000.  The souvenir sheet with the Dr. Hans Selye stamp was released on January 17, 2000.