Significant dates
- 1775
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Benjamin Franklin appointed first Postmaster General by the Continental Congress
- 1847
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U.S. postage stamps issued
- 1855
-
Registered Mail begins
Prepayment of postage required
- 1860
-
Pony Express began
- 1863
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Free city delivery begins
Postage rates become uniform, regardless of distance
- 1873
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U.S. postal cards issued
- 1874
-
General Postal Union (now Universal Postal Union) established
- 1893
-
First commemorative stamps issued
- 1896
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Rural free delivery begins
- 1913
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Parcel Post® begins
- 1918
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Scheduled airmail service begins
- 1950
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Residential deliveries reduced to one a day
- 1957
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Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee established
- 1963
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ZIP Code inaugurated
- 1970
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Express Mail® began experimentally
- 1971
-
United States Postal Service® began operations
Labor contract negotiated through collective bargaining, a federal government “first”
- 1974
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Self-adhesive stamps tested
- 1982
-
Last year Postal Service™ accepted public service subsidy
- 1983
-
ZIP+4® Code began
- 1992
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Self-adhesive stamps introduced nationwide
- 1993
-
National Postal Museum opened
- 1994
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Postal Service launched public Internet site
- 1998
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U.S. semipostal stamp issued
- 2004
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Priority Mail® flat-rate box introduced
- 2006
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Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act signed
- 2007
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“Forever” stamp issued
- 2008
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Competitive pricing for expedited mail began
- 2009
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Free usps.com iPhone app offered
- 2011
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Every Door Direct Mail® introduced
- 2013
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Sunday package delivery expanded
- 2014
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Informed Delivery® tested
- 2017
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Informed Delivery available nationwide
- 2021
-
Delivering for America plan introduced
More information
On this day in USPS history
A list of notable events by month/day/year is available in two formats, PDF and RTF.
July 1, 1971: Postal Service Day
The USPS officially began operations on July 1, 1971, “Postal Service Day.”
To learn about the nationwide celebrations that commemorated the transformation of the U.S. Post Office Department into the U.S. Postal Service, see our 6-page paper. PDF
Featured sections
The official history of the USPS
See our 156-page illustrated book The United States Postal Service: An American History.
To order a printed copy, see How to Order.
Kids’ history of the USPS
A Kids’ History of the United States Postal Service, for young readers, shares USPS history in 40 fun-filled pages.