World Post Day

October 9th is World Post Day. This is the day we celebrate the postal service and its origins.

The Universal Postal Union was established in 1874..

…as a means of cooperation and regulation amongst its member states’ mail services — today it allows mail to flow freely from your mailbox to Timbuktu, and everywhere in between! In 1969, World Post Day was inaugurated at the Tokyo Universal Postal Congress. (1)

There’s no doubt that our postal service today deserves recognition for its hard work and adaptability during these hard times.

5 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE POSTAL SYSTEM

It processes 5,000 letters a second

The U.S Postal Service processes more than 5,000 pieces of mail every second.
It receives no help from Uncle Sam

The USPS receives no tax dollars for operating expenses.
It has ancient English origins

The word “mail” comes from a Medieval English word referring to a traveler’s bag or pack.
It used to walk like an Egyptian

The earliest documented evidence of a courier system is from Egypt (around 2400 BC).
It started ZIP codes

ZIP stands for Zone Improvement Plan, begun in 1963 by the USPS.