Timeline of postal history

This is a timeline of significant events in postal history, including dates relating to postage stamps.

Fifteenth century

• 1497 - Franz von Taxis established a postal service on behalf of Emperor Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire

Sixteenth century

• 1516 – Henry VIII established a "Master of the Posts"

Seventeenth century

• 1635 31 July – Charles I made the Royal Mail service available to the public for the first time with postage being paid by the recipient.
• 1639 - The General Court of Massachusetts designates the tavern of Richard Fairbanks in Boston as the official repository of overseas mail, making it the first postal establishment in the 13 colonies.
• 1654 – Oliver Cromwell grants monopoly over service in England to "Office of Postage".
• 1660 – General Post Office established in England by Charles II.
• 1671 – King Louis XIV grants monopoly over service in Paris to the family Pagot and Rouillé.
• 1675 - Beat Fischer von Reichenbach granted permisssion to operate a private postal service in Bern, Switzerland.
• 1680 - The first penny post system, known as the London Penny Post, for local delivery was introduced by William Dockwra in London.
• 1690 – Leon II Pajot builds still existing building on 9 rue des Déchargeurs in Paris - International Horse Carriages carry Mail from France to other countries.

Eighteenth century

• 1775 - The Continental Congress appoints Benjamin Franklin to be the first United States Postmaster General.
• 1792 20 February - The US Postal Service Act establishes the United States Post Office Department.

1820s

• 1825 - The US establishes a dead letter office.
• 1828 - Hellenic postal service established.

1830s

• 1830 – First mail train in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
• 1839 5 December - Uniform Fourpenny Post starts throughout the UK.

1840s

• 1840 10 January - Uniform Penny Post starts throughout the UK.
• 1840 1 May - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland issues the Penny Black and Two pence blue, world's first postage stamps.
• 1840 6 May - The Penny Black and Two pence blue, world's first postage stamps becomes valid for the pre-payment of postage.
• 1842 1 February City Despatch Post New York local post.
• 1843 1 March - Zürich issue their first stamps: Zurich 4 and Zurich 6.
• 1843 1 August - Bull's Eyes, first stamps of Brazil
• 1843 30 September - Geneva issue their first stamps: Double Geneva.
• 1845 - New York Postmaster's Provisional
• 1845 - The US star routes begin operation.
• 1847 1 July The United States issues its first stamps.
• 1847 21 September Mauritius issues its first stamps, the Mauritius "Post Office" stamps, or the Red Penny and Blue Penny.
• 1848 - first use of Perot Provisionals in Bermuda
• 1849 1 January - first stamps of France
• 1849 1 July first stamps of Belgium
• 1849 1 November first stamps of Bavaria

1850s

• 1850 1 January New South Wales issues its first stamps.
• 1850 1 January Spain issues its first stamps.
• 1850 3 January Victoria issues its first stamps.
• 1850 7 April Federal Switzerland issues its first stamps.
• 1850 1 June Austria and Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia issue their first stamps.
• 1850 29 June Saxony issues its first stamps.
• 1850 1 July British Guiana issues its first stamps.
• 1850 15 November Prussia issues its first stamps.
• 1851 23 April - The Province of Canada issues its first stamp, the Three-Penny Beaver, designed by Sandford Fleming.
• 1851 - Kingdom of Hawaii issues Hawaiian Missionaries, first stamps.
• 1852 - New Brunswick issues its first stamps.
• 1852 - The Netherlands issues its first stamps.
• 1852 - Scinde Dawks in India
• 1852 - first stamps of Barbados
• 1852 - US issues its first stamped envelopes.
• 1853 - first stamps of Portugal
• 1853 1 November - first stamps of Tasmania
• 1854 - first stamps of India
• 1854 - first stamps of Western Australia
• 1855 - first stamps of South Australia
• 1855 - US initiates registered mail service.
• 1855 - US makes prepayment of postage compulsory.
• 1855 - first stamps of New Zealand
• 1856 1 August - first stamps of Mexico
• 1856 21 August - first stamps of Corrientes
• 1856 - first stamps of Danish West Indies
• 1856 - British Guiana 1c magenta issued
• 1857 - Newfoundland issues its first stamps.
• 1858 29 April - Buenos Aires issues its first stamps.
• 1858 1 May - Argentine Confederation issues its first stamps.
• 1858 21 July - Moldavia (now part of Romania) issues its first stamps.
• 1858 28 October - Cordoba issues its first stamps.
• 1858 - London is divided into postal districts, precursor of UK Postcode System.
• 1859 - Bahamas issues its first stamps.

1860s

• 1860 - First stamps of Malta under British command
• 1860 1 November - first stamps of Queensland
• 1860 - Jamaica issues its first stamps.
• 1860 - The Pony Express operates in the western United States for a short time.
• 1860 - A stamp is issued for British Columbia and Vancouver Island.
• 1861 - American Civil War begins, postmasters in South make provisional issues.
• 1861 - first stamps of Confederate States of America
• 1861 1 October - first stamps of Hellas
• 1862 11 January - first stamps of Argentine Republic
• 1862 - first stamps of Antigua
• 1863 - Bolivia lets a private contract for mail, rescinds it six weeks later.
• 1863 - First stamps issued by the Ottoman Empire.
• 1864 - United States establishes railroad post offices.
• 1865 1 November - British Columbia issues first stamps.
• 1865 - Bermuda has its first regular stamp issue.
• 1865 - Vancouver Island issues first and only stamps solely for the island.
• 1866 - first stamps of Serbia
• 1866 - British Honduras issues its first stamps.
• 1866 - Lombardy-Venetia annexed to Italy, including postal services
• 1866 - first stamps of Egypt
• 1867 1 July - The Province of Canada is joined by Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, creating the Dominion of Canada.
• 1867 - first stamps of Bolivia
• 1867 - first stamps of Austrian post offices in the Turkish Empire
• 1868 - first stamps of Azores

1870s

• 1870 - Angola issues its first stamps.
• 1871 - Afghanistan issues its first stamps.
• 1871 20 April - Japan issues its first stamps.
• 1871 20 July - British Columbia joins Canada, which takes over postal services.
• 1873 1 July - Prince Edward Island joins Canada, which takes over postal services.
• 1873 - Iceland issues its first stamps.
• 1874 9 October - General Postal Union (later Universal Postal Union) is formed.
• 1878 - General Postal Union becomes Universal Postal Union).
• 1879 1 June - Bulgaria issues its first stamps.

1880s

• 1882 - stamps of Straits Settlements overprinted at Bangkok
• 1885 - United States initiates special delivery service.
• 1886 - first stamps of British Bechuanaland
• 1886 - first stamps of Congo Free State (Belgian Congo)
• 1888 - first stamps of Bechuanaland Protectorate

1890s

• 1890 - first stamps of the Republic of the United States of Brazil
• 1890 - first stamps of British East Africa
• 1891 - first stamps of British Central Africa
• 1892 - January 2 first stamps of British South Africa Company, Rhodesia
• 1892 - first stamps of Anjouan
• 1892 - first stamps of Angra
• 1892 - first stamps of Benin
• 1893 - Hawaiian monarchy overthrown, first stamps of republic
• 1895 - stamps of Dahomey supersede those of Benin
• 1894 - first stamps of French Somali Coast (today Djibouti)
• 1896 - United States experiments with rural free delivery, is made permanent in 1902.
• 1897 - Germany issues first stamps for its colony of Cameroon.
• 1898 - stamps of Cuba under US military rule
• 1898 - Puerto Rico stamps issued under US administration
• 1899 - US stamps overprinted for use in Guam
• 1899 - first stamps of the Philippines, overprinted US issues
• 1899 - US stamps supersede those of Hawaii

1900s

• 1900 - first stamps of Kiautchou, German colony in China
• 1903 - first stamps of Aitutaki
• 1903 - first stamps of Austrian post offices in Crete
• 1904 - first stamps of Panama Canal Zone
• 1906 - first stamps of Brunei, overprints on Labuan
• 1908 - first stamps of Belgian Congo under Belgian administration

1910s

• 1911 - January 1 - first stamps of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands.
• 1911 - United States creates a postal savings system.
• 1912 - last stamps of Anjouan, superseded by Madagascar
• 1913 - first stamps of Australia, superseding those of the various former colonies
• 1913 5 May - first stamps of Albania
• 1913 - United States initiates parcel post service, using special stamps.
• 1915 - 15 August - British forces overprint Iranian stamps in Bushire, use until 16 October.
• 1915 - British and French occupation forces overprint stamps for Cameroon.
• 1916 - United States postal inspectors solve the last known stagecoach robbery in the US.
• 1918 - United States issues its first airmail stamps; a sheet of the Inverted Jenny is discovered among them.
• 1918 - first stamps of the Italian occupation of Trieste and Trentino
• 1919 - first stamps of Armenia and Azerbaijan
• 1919 - first stamps of Batum

1920s

• 1920 - plebiscite stamps for Allenstein
• 1920 - largest private US postage company, Pitney Bowes formed.
• 1920 - first stamps of French Upper Volta
• 1920 June - first stamps of La Aguera
• 1921 - East Africa and Uganda Protectorates issues stamps.
• 1921 - France issues first stamps for its mandate of Cameroon.
• 1922 13 July - Barbuda overprints stamps of Leeward Islands.
• 1922 - Karelia briefly independent, issues stamps
• 1922 - first stamps of Kenya and Uganda
• 1922 - first stamps of Ascension Island
• 1922 - last stamps of La Aguera
• 1922 - first stamps of Irish Free State
• 1923 - first stamps of Jordan (as British mandate)
• 1923 - first stamps of Transcaucasian SFSR, superseding those of Armenia
• 1923 - first stamps of Iraq
• 1923 - first stamps of Kuwait
• 1924 - first stamps of Algeria
• 1925 - first stamps of Alaouites
• 1928 - first stamps of Spanish Andorra

1930s

• 1931 16 June - first stamps of French Andorra
• 1933 10 August - first stamps of Bahrain, issued by Indian postal administration
• 1933 1 December - first stamps of Basutoland
• 1935 May - common issue of stamps for Silver Jubilee of King George V
• 1935 15 November - first stamps of Commonwealth of the Philippines
• 1935 - first stamps of Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika
• 1935 - United States initiates Trans-Pacific airmail service.
• 1937 1 April - first stamps of Aden
• 1937 1 April - first stamps of Burma, overprints on India
• 1937 12 May - common issue of stamps for coronation of King George VI
• 1938 14 April - stamps issued for Alexandretta, last on 10 November
• 1938 - Austrian stamps are phased out after the Anschluss.

1940s

• 1940 - Pitcairn Islands issue their first stamps.
• 1941 - United States creates highway post offices.
• 1942 - United States uses V-mail to handle armed forces' mail.
• 1945 May - provisional stamps issued for Austria
• 1946 - first stamps of independent Jordan
• 1947 - India gains independence from Britain
• 1948 - British postal administration takes over in Bahrain
• 1948 - Pakistan issues its first stamps.
• 1949 - Newfoundland joins Canada and issues its last stamps.
• 1949 18 July - Ryukyu Islands issues its first stamps.

1950s

• 1951 - Cambodia issues its first stamps.
• 1951 - United Nations issues its first stamps.
• 1955 - United States initiates certified mail service.
• 1957 - United States establishes Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to choose stamp designs
• 1958 23 April - members of West Indies Federation make a joint stamp issue.
• 1959 - UK Postcode scheme introduced
• 1959 - The Republic of Upper Volta issues its first stamps.
• 1959 - The USS Barbero and United States Postal Service attempt the delivery of mail via Missile Mail.

1960s

• 1960 July - Katanga secedes from Congo, issues stamps until 1961.
• 1960 1 October - UK trust territory of the Cameroons issues stamps, in use into 1961.
• 1961 1 October - Independent Cameroon issues its first stamps.
• 1962 April - Bhutan issues its first stamps.
• 1962 1 July - Burundi issues its first stamps.
• 1963 - United States introduces the ZIP Code.
• 1963 1 February - British Antarctic Territory issues its first stamps.
• 1963 12 December - Kenya issues its first stamps.
• 1964 - First stamps isseud by independent Republic of Malta.
• 1964 30 March - Abu Dhabi issues its first stamps.
• 1964 20 June - Ajman issues its first stamps.
• 1966 30 September - first stamps of Botswana
• 1966 2 December - first stamps of independent Barbados
• 1966 - United States ends its postal savings system.
• 1967 21 August - first stamps of Afars and Issas
• 1967 4 September - first stamps of Anguilla
• 1968 17 January - first stamps of British Indian Ocean Territory
• 1968 19 November - first regular stamps of Barbuda
• 1968 - United States initiates priority mail as a type of first-class mail.

1970s

• 1970 - United States passes Postal Reorganization Act, privatizing postal service.
• 1970 - United States initiates experimental express mail service, makes it permanent in 1977.
• 1971 - Privatized United States Postal Service begins operation.
• 1971 1 April - Canadian six-character postal codes introduced.
• 1971 29 July - Bangladesh issues its first stamps.
• 1973 1 June - Belize issues its first stamps.
• 1974 - United States ends its use of highway post offices.
• 1975 11 November - first stamp of independent Angola
• 1975 8 December - first stamps of renamed Benin
• 1976 1 January - first stamps of Tuvalu, formerly the Ellice Islands.
• 1976 1 January - first stamps of the Gilbert Islands (changed to Kiribati in 1979)
• 1977 30 June - United States ends use of railroad post offices.
• 1978 - United States begins to copyright postage stamps and other philatelic items.
• 1979 12 July - first stamps of Kiribati, formerly the Gilbert Islands.
• 1979 - Canal Zone transferred to Panama along with postal service.

1980s

• 1982 - United States introduces E-COM, an electronic message service.
• 1983 - United States introduces ZIP + 4.
• 1984 21 November - first stamps of Burkina Faso
• 1985 - Jackie Strange, first female Deputy US Postmaster General
• 1985 - United States terminates E-COM service.
• 1986 1 January - first stamps of Aruba

1990s

• 1992 20 March - Belarus issues its first stamps.
• 1992 26 March - Azerbaijan resumes issuing stamps.
• 1992 - Kazakhstan issues its first stamps.
• 1994 28 Jan - Canada issues the world's first 2 part customizable greetings stamps.

2000s

• 2000 28 Dec - Canada issues the world's first 2 part personalized photo stamps, called "Picture Postage".
• 2007 12 April - USPS issues a non-denominated stamp called the forever stamp