Below are just a few of the dates of importance and and their significance to the Postal Service:
- 1639 – A former tavern in Boston becomes the first Post Office store.
- 1775 – Benjamin Franklin appointed as the first Postmaster General.
- 1815 – Steamboats begin carrying mail.
- 1832 – The railroads are contracted to carry mail
- 1847 – The first postage stamp is issued.
- They were issued at five and ten cents.
- 1860 – The short lived Pony Express began operation (ended in 1861).
- 1863 – Free delivery began in the cities.
- Rural free delivery didn’t begin until 1896.
- 1913 – The USPS officially began delivering packages as Parcel Post.
- This greatly changed the access of goods to rural America, the birth of mail order.
- 1918 – Airmail took flight.
- 1963 – ZIP Code system introduced. (And what an impact that has been!)
- ZIP + 4 Code was introduced in 1983
- 1971 – The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 was enacted.
- The United States Post Office Department became the United States Postal Service.
- 2006 – USPS hit its peak mail volume of 213 billion pieces in FY2006.
- FY2024 mail volume is at 112 billion, 47% off of its high.
- 2006 – The Postal Accountability Enhancement Act (PAEA) was signed into law.
- The Postal Rate Commission became the Postal Regulatory Commission.
- Postage pricing became more regulated.
- USPS began prefunding Retiree Health Benefits.
- 2007 – The First Forever stamp is issued.
- 2021 – The Delivery for America plan was introduced.
- 2022 – The Postal Service Reform Act was enacted.
- Eliminated the Prefunding Mandate.
- Medicare Integration.
- Codified six day delivery into law.
- 2024 – First release of Next Generation Delivery Vehicles and EVs
- Sorting & Delivery Centers expand.
About.USPS.com link includes many more stories of the USPS history.
Below are upcoming Industry events:
- September 8-10, 2025 – Parcel Forum, Chicago, IL
- September 29 – October 1, 2025 – MailCom conference, Atlantic City
- September 30 – October 1, 2025 – PostCom Study Day & Board Mttg, Alexandria, VA
- October 1 – 2, 2025 – DTAC meeting, Alexandria, VA
- October 7-8, 2025 – MTAC – Washington, D.C.
- October 22-24, 2025 – Printing United, Orlando, FL
- October 23, 2025 – NPPC meeting, Arlington, VA
- February 17 – 19, 2026 – NAPM conference, Orlando, FL
- March 4-5, 2026 – DTAC Meeting, Sarasota, FL
- May 3-6, 2026 – National Postal Forum – Phoenix, AZ
- May 18-21, 2026 – ACMA conference – Washington, D.C.
Below are links to many more stories and pictures of the USPS 250 year history.
- From Benjamin Franklin to Pony Express to Anthrax: How the US Postal Service shaped a Nation. (U.S. NEWS)
- PHOTO COLLECTION: The U.S. Postal Service at 250. (LMTonline)
- Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Postal Service with these 15 photographs. (Smithsonian Magazine)
- From the Archive: You’ve Got Mail. (The Saturday Evening POST)
- Explore Our Rich History. (USPS About)
- 250 Years of USPS with Mail with Mr. Zip (YouTube)
- USPS 250 Years of Collecting Mail (Mailing’ it! USPS Podcast)
For more information on these topics or other postal issues, contact GrayHair Software at engage@grayhairsoftware.com
