The 1999 33¢ Celebrate the Century – 1970s: America Smiles stamp was part of a special U.S. Postal Service series called Celebrate the Century. This series included stamps from each decade of the 20th century to honor important people, events, and trends in American history. The “America Smiles” stamp shows the classic yellow smiley face that became very popular during the 1970s. People in that decade saw the smiley face everywhere, from buttons and T-shirts to mugs and signs, and it became a symbol of happiness and fun. The “America Smiles” stamp was issued on November 18, 1999, in New York and had a value of 33 cents, which was the regular U.S. postage rate at that time.
The 1970s sheet in the Celebrate the Century series included 15 stamps, each showing a different part of life from that decade, like disco music, Sesame Street, women’s rights, and yes—the smiling face. The
yellow smiley face became so famous that it wasn’t just on stamps; it was used on all kinds of products and even inspired people to think more about happiness and goodwill. The art for the stamps was done by Kazuhiko Sano and the sheets were printed by Ashton-Potter (USA) Ltd. A lot of these stamps were made—about 90 million sheets—so many people could enjoy them.
Share a Smile Day happens each year on March 1. This day started in 1997 and encourages people to share smiles with others to spread happiness and kindness. Smiling has real benefits: it can make you and the people around you feel happier, reduce stress, and even help your health. So on March 1, 2026, you can take part by simply smiling at others and making someone’s day brighter—just like the cheerful smiley face celebrated on the 1999 stamp.
References:
Celebrate the Century 1970 stamps from the author's collection.
Stamp information from Celebrate the Century: 1970s – America Smiles and the Celebrate the Century series (USPS) (Mystic Stamp Company)
Share a Smile Day details (history and date for 2026) https://nationaltoday.com/share-a-smile-day/
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