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Nation Of Celestial SpaceThe Nation of Celestial Space (also known as Celestia) was a micronation created by Evergreen Park, Illinois resident James Thomas Mangan. Celestia comprised the entirety of "outer space", which Mangan laid claim to on behalf of humanity to ensure that no one country might establish a political hegemony there. As "Founder and First Representative", he registered this acquisition with the Recorder of Deeds and Titles of Cook County on 1 January 1949. At its foundation Celestia claimed to have 19 members, among them Mangan's daughter Ruth; a decade later a booklet published by the group claimed that membership had grown to 19,057. Mangan was active for many years in pursuing his claims on behalf of Celestia; in 1949 he notified the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom and United Nations that Celestia had banned all further atmospheric nuclear tests. Later, as the space race got underway in earnest he sent angry letters of protest to the leaders of the Soviet Union and United States on the occasions that their early space flights encroached upon his "territory" - although he later waived these proscriptions to allow for satellite launches by the latter. While Mangan and Celestia were politely ignored by the superpowers, there is evidence that at least some others were prepared to entertain his claims with a greater level of seriousnes; the first unfurling of the Celestian flag - featuring a blue hatch symbol within a white disc against a blue field - was broadcast in June 1958 to a television audience of millions across the US, and the following day the flag was formally raised at the United Nations building in New York City, to fly alongside those of the member nations of that organisation. Despite these efforts, the Nation of Celestial Space is thought to have become defunct with the death of its founder. Its only surviving legacy is the series of solid gold coins and stamps issued in its name by Mangan from the late 1950s through to the mid 1960s. References - "State of the Sky; Second Report to the Universe", James T Mangan, 1958
- "Numismatic Scrapbook", Feb 1960, p571
- "Stamps", April 16, 1966, p129
- "The Numismatist", Dec 2001
Celestia
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