Postal Facts - U.S. Postal Service
The Postal Service has enabled faster, more efficient communication, created safer, more secure delivery of correspondence and merchandise and has adapted to meet the evolving needs of its customers for 250 years. It’s what we do.
The history of the Postal Service is a large story set on a broad canvas. It is intertwined with the history of America, and it provides a lens from which to observe the evolution of the United States. The postal system strengthened the foundations of our democracy by fostering the flow of ideas and access to America’s free press. It enabled the vast expansion of American industry and commerce, spanning and influencing the rise of the railroads in the 19th century, air travel in the 20th century and the advanced digital technology of recent decades. As America’s economy and society have evolved, so too has the Postal Service to both meet and reflect the nation’s changing needs.
Information about the history of the Postal Service can be found here
1775
Postal Inspection Service
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service was established Aug. 7, 1775, and is America's oldest federal law enforcement agency.
July 1, 1963: The five-digit ZIP Code was introduced.
July 1, 1902: Rural free delivery became a permanent service in America.
1992
Lunar New Year stamp series
In 1992, the first stamp in the Lunar New Year stamp series was issued and celebrated the year of the rooster.
The first stamp in the Love stamp series was issued in 1973 and was designed by pop artist Robert Indiana.
1962
1st Christmas-themed stamp
Nov. 1, 1962: The first Christmas-themed U.S. postage stamp was issued.
1933
FIRST ARCTIC POST OFFICE
Oct. 6, 1933: The first U.S. Post Office was established in Antarctica.
1967
1st National Postal Forum
Sept. 14, 1967: The Post Office Department held the first National Postal Forum (NPF) in Washington, DC.
1995
corporate logo trademark
Sept. 12, 1995: The USPS corporate logo became a registered trademark.
1969
moon landing postmark
July 22, 1969: The crew of Apollo 11 canceled the first piece of mail carried to the moon with a postmark reading, “Moon Landing, U.S.A.” Although the postmark was dated July 20, the first chance the crew had to cancel the envelope was two days later on the journey home.
2000
first circular stamp
July 7, 2000: The first circular U.S. postage stamp, the $11.75 "Space Achievement and Exploration" Express Mail stamp, was issued. It featured a hologram of Earth — another first.
1971
U.S. Postal Service begins
July 1, 1971: The United States Postal Service, the successor of the Post Office Department, officially began operations.
June 15, 1942: Victory Mail service — V-Mail for short — began for deployed members of the U.S. armed forces during World War II. More than 1 billion Victory-Mail letters were delivered between June 1942 and November 1945.
June 8, 1959: Mail was dispatched by guided missile from a U.S. Navy submarine to a naval air station in Florida.
1955
Certified Mail service
The Post Office Department began Certified Mail service in June 1955.
1918
first U.S. airmail route
May 15, 1918: The Post Office Department began scheduled airmail service between New York and Washington, DC — the first airmail route in the United States.
Male letter carriers were first allowed to wear shorts during the summer on April 1, 1973.
1845
telegraph service begins
The first commercial telegraph service began under the Post Office Department in April 1845.
1997
First Triangular Stamp
The Postal Service issued the first triangular stamp on March 13, 1997. The 32-cent stamp featured a clipper ship and a stagecoach and debuted at the Pacific 97 International Stamp Exhibition.
Pneumatic tube mail service was first tested in Philadelphia on March 1, 1893, after having been authorized by Congress the year prior.
1792
Death for Mail Theft
On Feb. 20, 1792, an act of Congress specified that anyone convicted of stealing mail "shall, on conviction thereof, suffer death." In 1872, the maximum penalty for mail theft was reduced to a lifetime of hard labor. Today, mail theft carries potential penalties of up to five years in prison and significant fines.
1992
carrier maternity wear
The Postal Service introduced maternity wear for pregnant letter carriers on Feb. 3, 1992.
1978
BLACK HERITAGE stamps
The first stamp in the Black Heritage stamp series was issued on Feb. 1, 1978, and featured Harriet Tubman.
On Jan. 8, 1963, the last dogsled mail route in Alaska ended. It connected Gambell and Savoonga and had been replaced by airplane service the month before.
1968
PRIORITY MAIL begins
Priority Mail service began Jan. 7, 1968.
1847
first postage stamps
The first U.S. postage stamps were issued in 1847.
Mr. ZIP, who has no first name, appeared in many public service announcements and advertisements urging customers to use their five-digit ZIP Code introduced on July 1, 1963. Within four years of his appearance, eight out of 10 Americans knew who Mr. ZIP was and what he stood for. The character has found new life in recent years a USPS-licensed character and even has YouTube series.
Before 1863, postage paid only for the delivery of mail from Post Office to Post Office. Citizens picked up their mail, although in some cities they could pay an extra two-cent fee for letter delivery or use private delivery firms. An Act of Congress of March 3, 1863, effective July 1, 1863, provided that free city delivery be established at Post Offices where income from local postage was more than sufficient to pay all expenses of the service.
On an autumn day in 1888, a shaggy pup took his first steps toward becoming a postal legend when he crept into the Albany, NY, Post Office. Postal employees allowed him to stay and named him Owney.
On May 7, 1833, 24-year-old Abraham Lincoln was appointed postmaster of New Salem, IL. Lincoln served until the office was closed May 30, 1836.
The United States Postal Service has a storied history, familiar to many. Our history is the history of America.
Detailed information about the Postal Service and its history can be found in "The United States Postal Service: An American History" at https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/.
1775
first postmaster general
The Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin the first postmaster general on July 26, 1775.
Located in Maryland, the William F. Bolger Center is a premier leadership development and conference center servicing both Postal Service and external clients.
It is the only hotel in the country featuring an on-site Smithsonian Institution exhibit.
Smithsonian- National Postal Museum
1993
National Postal Museum opens
In 1993, the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum opened. This museum is dedicated to the preservation, study and presentation of postal history and philately.
The first Post Office in the American colonies was established in a Boston tavern in 1639.
Newspapers
and the U.S. Mail
Extra! Extra! American newspapers largely owe their existence to Post Offices. As part of the Post Office Act of 1792, newspapers were permitted to be mailed at extremely low rates. By the start of the 19th century, newspapers made up the bulk of the U.S. Mail.
The history of the Postal Service is a large story set on a broad canvas. It is intertwined with the history of America, and it provides a lens from which to observe the evolution of the United States. This story is told beautifully in "The United States Postal Service: An American History" (also known as Pub. 100).
More than 1,400 USPS-owned buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Postal Service traces its origin to 1775, when Benjamin Franklin was appointed as the first postmaster general of the United Colonies. His annual salary was $1,000. From 1872 to 1971, the postmaster general was a presidential Cabinet member.
The official name for the Pony Express was the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Co. Before they were hired, riders had to swear on a Bible not to curse, fight or abuse their animals. The service was in operation only from April 3, 1860, to Oct. 26, 1861. It was never part of the U.S. Postal Service but operated as a contract U.S. Mail route during its final months.
Trademarks
The Sonic Eagle Logo, the trade dress of USPS packaging, the Letter Carrier Uniform and the Postal Truck and the following marks are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: Click-N-Ship®, Deliver The Win®, EDDM®, ePostage®, Every Door Direct Mail®, Express Mail®, First-Class™, First-Class Mail®, First-Class Package International Service®, Forever®, Global Express Guaranteed®, IMb®, Informed Delivery®, Intelligent Mail®, Label Broker™, Parcel Select®, P.O. Box™, Post Office®, Pony Express®, Postal Inspection Service™, PostalOne!®, Postal Police®, #PostalProud®, Priority Mail Express International®, Priority Mail Flat Rate®, Priority Mail International®, Priority: You®, Registered Mail™, Standard Mail®, The Postal Store®, United States Postal Inspection Service®, United States Postal Service®, U.S. Mail®, U.S. Postal Inspector™, U.S. Postal Service®, USPS®, USPS BlueEarth®, USPS Mobile®, USPS Operation Santa®, USPS Tracking®, usps.com®, We are people delivering to people™, ZIP+4® and ZIP Code™. This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.
Non-Postal Trademarks
Dollar General®, Forest Stewardship Council®, How2Recycle®, McDonald’s®, National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, Starbucks®, Subway®, Sustainable Forestry Initiative®, The Climate Registry®.
Postal Facts 2024 provides the public with information about the U.S. Postal Service. The facts in this publication may be reproduced for the purpose of stating the fact itself, in a business, informational or academic context and the like, and in the body of text discussing factual subject matter relevant to the fact being presented. However, these facts may become outdated after publication and seeking the latest information is advised.
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