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Since its inception, the GC has been posthumously awarded to 84 recipients and to 70 survivors of the respective action(s) (excluding the two collective awards ).

1 Creation

Created on September 24 1940 by King George VI, it is awarded for an act of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger. In its history, it has only been awarded directly to four women, of which three were SOE agents who served during World War II.

2 Second awards

No second award or Bar to a GC has been awarded.

3 Collective awards

The George Cross has, on the express recommendation of the Sovereign, been awarded twice on a "collective" basis, to the island of Malta and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).

• It was awarded to the island of Malta in a letter dated April 15 1942 from King George VI to the island's Governor William Dobbie: "To honour her brave people, I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history". The fortitude of the population under sustained enemy air raids and a naval blockade which almost saw them starved into submission, won wide spread admiration in Britain and other allied nations. The George Cross is woven into the Flag of Malta and can been seen where ever the flag is flown, for example at The United Nations and more recently at the European ParliamentThe European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union. Other organisations of European countries such as NATO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and the Western European Union have parliamentary assemblies as well, but the European Parlia.

• It was awarded to the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1999For the album by Prince, see 1999 (album 1999 is a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the UN. Events Kosovo War Former child star Gary Coleman files for bankruptcy Y2K prep by Queen Elizabeth II following the advice of her Government. Buckingham PalaceBuckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. Buckingham Palace or The Palace is also used to refer to the source of press statements coming from the British Royal Family. History Originally Buckingham House, it was built for announced, "The Queen has awarded the George Cross to the Royal Ulster Constabulary, to honour the courage and dedication of the officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and their families who have shared their hardships." The Queen paid her own personal tribute to the RUC by presenting the George Cross to the organisation in person at Hillsborough Castle , County DownCounty Down An Dun in Irish) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, covering an area of 2,448 km² (945 square miles). The estimated population in 1992 was 416,600, a more recent figure puts it at 454,000. The county borders County Antrim and Coun.

The GC citation published in the London Gazette November 23November 23 is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 38 days remaining. Events 1499 Pretender to the throne Perkin Warbeck is hanged for reportedly attempting to escape from the Tower of London. In 1497 he invaded 1999For the album by Prince, see 1999 (album 1999 is a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the UN. Events Kosovo War Former child star Gary Coleman files for bankruptcy Y2K prep states: For the past 30 years, the Royal Ulster Constabulary has been the bulwark against, and the main target of, a sustained and brutal terrorism campaign. The Force has suffered heavily in protecting both sides of the community from danger - 302 officers have been killed in the line of duty and thousands more injured, many seriously. Many officers have been ostracised by their own community and others have been forced to leave their homes in the face of threats to them and their families. As Northern Ireland reaches a turning point in its political development this award is made to recognise the collective courage and dedication to duty of all of those who have served in the Royal Ulster Constabulary and who have accepted the danger and stress this has brought to them and to their families.

Within two years, (on November 4November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. Events 1576 Eighty Years' War: In Belgium, Spain captures Antwerp (after three days the city was nearly destroyed). 1612 Moscow China Town tak 2001), the RUC was replaced with the Police Service of Northern Ireland.