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This is a partialtimeline of significantevents in postal history, includingdates and events relating topostage stamps.

• Chapar Khaneh, the state-run courier (and transportation) service of the Persian Empire was established byCyrus the Great, and later developed byDarius the Great as the royal method of communication throughout the empire.^[1]

• Cursus publicus, the state-run courier (and transportation) service of the Roman Empire was established byAugustus based onChapar Khaneh of the Persians^[2].

• 1497 -Franz von Taxis^[3] established a postal service on behalf of EmperorMaximilian I of theHoly Roman Empire

• 1516 -Henry VIII established a "Master of the Posts"^[4]
• 1520 -Manuel I creates the public mail service of Portugal, the Correio Público-Public Post Office^[5]
• 1558 18 October -Sigismund II Augustus establishedPoczta Polska, a postal service of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.^[6]

• 1635 31 July -Charles I made theRoyal Mail service available to the public for the first time with postage being paid by the recipient.^[7]
• 1639 - TheGeneral Court of Massachusetts designates thetavern ofRichard Fairbanks inBoston as the official repository of overseas mail, making it the first postal establishment in theThirteen Colonies.
• 1647 7 January -H. Morian Granted license på have a postal monopoly "Posten Norge".
• 1654 -Oliver Cromwell grants monopoly over service in England to "Office of Postage".
• 1660 -General Post Office established inEngland byCharles II.^[8]
• 1663 - England's Imperial Post Office is established in the Colony of Barbados.
• 1663 - Portugal's Correio-Mor das Cartas do Mar is established inRio de Janeiro by the 7th High-Courier of the Kingdom of Portugal,Luís Gomes da Mata.
• 1671 - KingLouis XIV grants monopoly over service in Paris to the family Pagot and Rouillé.^[9]
• 1675 - Beat Fischer von Reichenbach granted permission to operate a private postal service in Bern, Switzerland.
• 1680 - The firstpenny post system, known as theLondon Penny Post, for local delivery was introduced byWilliam Dockwra in London.^[10]
• 1690 – Leon II Pajot builds a privately operated postal center on 9rue des Déchargeurs in Paris^[9] - International Horse Carriages carry Mail from Paris to Pajot et Rouillé orThurn und Taxis Post relais around western Europe. The building, theHôtel de Villeroy still exists, it is used today for private apartments and for the exposition center Cremerie de Paris, the private courtyard can be visited by the public certain days in the summer.

• 1738 the Parisian postal family Pajot & Rouille had become one of the wealthiest families in France.
  The Royal French minister of financecardinal de Fleury estimates that the postal wealth should belong to the Kings of France and nationalizes the privately run postal enterprise.^[9] The postal service also leaves the historic Pajot & Rouille buildings (formerlyHôtel de Villeroy) located on rue des Dechargeurs / rue des Bourdonnais.
• 1775 - TheContinental Congress appointsBenjamin Franklin to be the firstUnited States Postmaster General^[11]
• 1792 20 February - The USPostal Service Act establishes theUnited States Post Office Department.^[12]

• 1821 - Carlo Meratti, an Italian, living in Alexandria, establishes a post office to send and receive mail to and from foreign countries.^[13]
• 1825 - The US establishes adead letter office.^[14]
• 1828 - Hellenic postal service established.

• 1830 – Firstmail train inUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
• 1831 - Independent Irish and Scottish Post Offices united under thePostmaster General of the United Kingdom, 31 years after theAct of Union
• 1839 5 December -Uniform Fourpenny Post starts throughout theUK.

• 1840 10 January -Uniform Penny Post starts throughout theUnited Kingdom.
• 1840 1 May - United Kingdom issues thePenny Black andTwo Pence Blue, the world's firstpostage stamps.
• 1840 6 May - The Penny Black and Two Pence Blue, world's firstpostage stamps, become valid for the pre-payment of postage.
• 1842 1 FebruaryCity Despatch Post New York local post.
• 1843 1 March -Zürich issue their first stamps:Zürich 4 and 6.
• 1843 1 August -Bull's Eyes, first stamps ofBrazil
• 1843 30 September -Geneva issue their first stamps:Double Geneva.
• 1845 - Creation of theNew York Postmaster's Provisional
• 1845 - The USstar routes begin operation.
• 1847 1 July The United States issues its first stamps.
• 1847 21 SeptemberMauritius issues its first stamps, theMauritius "Post Office" stamps, or the Red Penny and Blue Penny.
• 1848 - first use ofPerot Provisionals inBermuda
• 1849 1 January - first stamps ofFrance
• 1849 1 July - first stamps ofBelgium, known as the"Epaulettes" type
• 1849 1 November - first stamps ofBavaria

• 1850 1 JanuaryNew South Wales issues its first stamps.
• 1850 1 January Spain issues its first stamps.
• 1850 3 JanuaryVictoria issues its first stamps.
• 1850 7 April Federal Switzerland issues its first stamps.
• 1850 1 June Austria andKingdom of Lombardy–Venetia issue their first stamps.
• 1850 29 JuneSaxony issues its first stamps.
• 1850 1 JulyBritish Guiana issues its first stamps.
• 1850 15 NovemberPrussia issues its first stamps.
• 1851 1 April Denmark issues its first stamp.
• 1851 23 April - TheProvince of Canada issues its first stamp, theThree-Penny Beaver, designed bySandford Fleming.
• 1851 - Kingdom of Hawaii issuesHawaiian Missionaries, first stamps.
• 1852 -New Brunswick issues its first stamps.
• 1852 - TheNetherlands issues its first stamps.
• 1852 -Scinde Dawks inIndia
• 1852 - first stamps ofBarbados
• 1852 - US issues its firststamped envelopes.
• 1853 - first stamps ofPortugal
• 1853 1 November - first stamps ofTasmania
• 1854 - first stamps ofIndia
• 1854 - first stamps of Western Australia
• 1855 - first stamps ofSouth Australia
• 1855 - US initiatesregistered mail service.
• 1855 - US makes prepayment of postage compulsory.
• 1855 - first stamps ofNew Zealand
• 1856 1 August - first stamps ofMexico
• 1856 21 August - first stamps ofCorrientes
• 1856 - first stamps ofDanish West Indies
• 1856 -British Guiana 1c magenta issued
• 1857 - 1 April -Ceylon(Sri Lanka) issues its first stamp.
• 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 issues its first stamps, just a year before the state's dissolution.
• 1858 28 October -Cordoba issues its first stamps.
• 1858 - London is divided into postal districts, precursor of BritishPostcode System.
• 1859 -Bahamas issues its first stamps.

• 1860 1 November - first stamps of Queensland
• 1860 1 December -first stamps of Malta
• 1860 -Jamaica issues its first stamps.
• 1860 - ThePony Express operates in the western United States for a short time.
• 1860 - A stamp is issued forBritish Columbia andVancouver Island.
• 1861 -American Civil War begins, postmasters in South make provisional issues.
• 1861 - first official stamps ofConfederate States of America
• 1861 1 October - first stamps ofGreece
• 1862 11 January - first stamps ofArgentine Republic
• 1862 - first stamps ofAntigua
• 1863 -Bolivia creates a private contract for mail but rescinds it six weeks later.
• 1863 - First stamps issued by theOttoman Empire.
• 1864 - United States establishesrailroad post offices.
• 1865 1 November -British Columbia issues first stamps.
• 1865 -Bermuda has its first regular stamp issue.
• 1865 -Vancouver Island issues only stamps solely for the island.
• 1866 - first stamps ofSerbia
• 1866 -British Honduras issues its first stamps.
• 1866 -Lombardy-Venetia annexed byItaly, including postal services
• 1866 - first stamps ofEgypt
• 1867 1 July - The State ofPrussia nationalizes the centuries-old privateThurn und Taxis Post.^[3]
• 1867 1 July - TheProvince of Canada is joined byNova Scotia andNew Brunswick, creating the Dominion of Canada.
• 1867 - first stamps ofBolivia
• 1867 - first stamps ofAustrian post offices in the Turkish Empire
• 1868 - first stamps ofPersia
• 1868 - first stamps ofAzores

• 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 joinsCanada, which takes over postal services.
• 1873 1 July -Prince Edward Island joinsCanada, which takes over postal services.
• 1873 -Iceland issues its first stamps.
• 1874 9 October -General Postal Union (laterUniversal Postal Union) is formed.
• 1878 -General Postal Union becomes theUniversal Postal Union.
• 1879 1 June -Bulgaria issues its first stamps a year after its independence.

• 1882 - stamps ofStraits Settlements overprinted atBangkok
• 1883 - first stamps ofSiam (Thailand)
• 1885 - United States initiates special delivery service.
• 1886 - first stamps ofBritish Bechuanaland
• 1886 - first stamps ofCongo Free State (Belgian Congo)
• 1888 - first stamps ofBechuanaland Protectorate

• 1890 - first stamps of theRepublic of the United States of Brazil
• 1890 - first stamps ofBritish East Africa
• 1891 - first stamps ofBritish Central Africa
• 1892 January 2 - first stamps ofBritish South Africa Company,Rhodesia
• 1892 - first stamps ofAnjouan
• 1892 - first stamps ofAngra
• 1892 - first stamps ofBenin
• 1893 - Hawaiian monarchy overthrown, first stamps of republic
• 1895 - stamps ofDahomey supersede those ofBenin
• 1894 - first stamps ofFrench Somali Coast (todayDjibouti)
• 1896 - United States experiments withrural free delivery, is made permanent in 1902.
• 1897 -Germany issues first stamps for its colony ofKamerun.
• 1898 - First stamps ofCuba under American military occupation
• 1898 -Puerto Rico stamps issued under US administration
• 1899 - US stamps overprinted for use inGuam
• 1899 - first stamps of thePhilippines (overprinted US issues)
• 1899 - US stamps supersede those ofHawaii

• 1900 - first stamps ofKiautchou, German colony in China
• 1903 - first stamps ofAitutaki
• 1903 - first stamps ofAustrian post offices in Crete
• 1904 - first stamps ofPanama Canal Zone
• 1906 - first stamps ofBrunei, overprints onLabuan
• 1908 - first stamps of theBelgian Congo under Belgian administration

• 1911 - January 1 - first stamps of theGilbert and Ellice Islands.
• 1911 - United States creates apostal savings system.
• 1912 - last stamps ofAnjouan, superseded byMadagascar
• 1913 - first stamps of Australia, superseding those of the various former colonies
• 1913 5 May - first stamps ofAlbania
• 1913 - United States initiatesparcel post service, using special stamps.
• 1915 - 15 August - British forces overprintIranian stamps inBushire, use until 16 October.
• 1915 - British and French occupation forces overprint stamps forCameroon.
• 1916 - United Statespostal inspectors solve the last knownstagecoach robbery in the US.
• 1917- British armed forces in Palestine issue the famous EEF stamps. December 1917
• 1918 - United States issues its firstairmail stamps; a sheet of theInverted Jenny is discovered among them.
• 1918 - first stamps of the Italian occupation ofTrieste andTrentino
• 1919 - first stamps ofArmenia andAzerbaijan
• 1919 - first stamps ofBatum

• 1920 - plebiscite stamps forAllenstein
• 1920 - largest private US postage company,Pitney Bowes formed.
• 1920 - first stamps ofFrench Upper Volta
• 1920 June - first stamps ofLa Aguera
• 1921 -East Africa and Uganda Protectorates issues stamps.
• 1921 - France issues first stamps for its mandate ofCameroon.
• 1922 13 July -Barbuda overprints stamps ofLeeward Islands.
• 1922 -Karelia, briefly independent, issues stamps
• 1922 - first stamps ofBritish Kenya andUganda
• 1922 - first stamps ofAscension Island
• 1922 - last stamps ofLa Aguera
• 1922 - first stamps ofIrish Free State
• 1923 - first stamps ofJordan (as a British mandate)
• 1923 - first stamps ofTranscaucasian SFSR, superseding those ofArmenia
• 1923 - first stamps ofIraq
• 1923 - first stamps ofKuwait
• 1924 - first stamps ofFrench Algeria
• 1925 - first stamps ofAlaouites
• 1927- First new [4]stamps for the civil administration in Palestine.
• 1928 - first stamps ofSpanish Andorra

• 1931 16 June - first stamps ofFrench Andorra
• 1933 10 August - first stamps ofBahrain, issued by Indian postal administration
• 1933 1 December - first stamps ofBasutoland
• 1935 May - common issue of stamps forSilver Jubilee of KingGeorge V
• 1935 15 November - first stamps ofCommonwealth of the Philippines
• 1935 - first stamps ofKenya, Uganda, Tanganyika
• 1935 - United States initiatesTrans-Pacific airmail service.
• 1937 1 April - first stamps ofAden
• 1937 1 April - first stamps ofBurma, overprints on India
• 1937 12 May - common issue of stamps for coronation of KingGeorge VI
• 1938 14 April - stamps issued forAlexandretta, last on 10 November
• 1938 1 December - first stamps issued forGreenland
• 1938 - Austrian stamps are phased out after theAnschluss.
• 1939 -Postal censorship introduced in several countries, both combatants and neutrals, involved inWorld War II

• 1940 -Pitcairn Islands issue their first stamps.
• 1941 - United States createshighway post offices.
• 1942 - United States usesV-mail to handle armed forces' mail.
• 1945 May - provisional stamps issued for Austria
• 1946 - first stamps of independentJordan^[15]
• 1947 - India gains independence fromBritain
• 1948 - Israel issues its first stamps-The Doar Ivri set. 16 May 1948 [The new country still has no name]
• 1948 - Israel issues its first Israel stamps with the word ISRAEL on the stamps. 26 September 1948
• 1948 - British postal administration takes over inBahrain
• 1948 -Pakistan issues its first stamps.
• 1949 -Newfoundland joins Canada and issues its last stamps.
• 1949 18 July -Ryukyu Islands issues its first stamps.

• 1951 -Cambodia issues its first stamps.
• 1951 -United Nations issues its first stamps.
• 1955 - United States initiatescertified mail service.
• 1957 - United States establishesCitizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to choose stamp designs
• 1958 23 April - members ofWest Indies Federation make a joint stamp issue.
• 1959 - UKPostcode scheme introduced.
• 1959 - TheRepublic of Upper Volta issues its first stamps.
• 1959 - TheUSSBarbero andUnited States Postal Service attempt the delivery of mail viaMissile Mail.

• 1960 July -Katanga secedes fromCongo, issues stamps until 1961.
• 1960 1 October - UK trust territory of theCameroons issues stamps, in use into 1961.
• 1961 1 October - IndependentCameroon issues its first stamps.
• 1962 April -Bhutan issues its first stamps.
• 1962 1 July -Burundi issues its first stamps.
• 1963 - United States introduces theZIP Code.
• 1963 1 February -British Antarctic Territory issues its first stamps.
• 1963 12 December -Kenya issues its first stamps.
• 1964 - First stamps issued by independentRepublic of Malta.
• 1964 - 9 February -Sierra Leone issues the world's firstself-adhesive stamps.
• 1964 30 March -Abu Dhabi issues its first stamps.
• 1964 20 June -Ajman issues its first stamps.
• 1966 30 September - first stamps ofBotswana
• 1966 2 December - first stamps of independentBarbados
• 1966 - United States ends itspostal savings system.
• 1967 21 August - first stamps ofAfars and Issas
• 1967 4 September - first stamps ofAnguilla
• 1968 17 January - first stamps ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory
• 1968 19 November - first regular stamps ofBarbuda
• 1968 - United States initiatespriority mail as a type offirst-class mail.

• 1970 - United States passesPostal Reorganization Act, which changed the postal service from a government department to a corporation owned by the government.
• 1970 - United States initiates experimentalexpress mail service, makes it permanent in 1977.
• 1971 -United States Postal Service begins operation as a corporation.
• 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 ofhighway post offices.
• 1975 11 November - first stamp of independentAngola
• 1975 8 December - first stamps of renamedBenin
• 1976 1 January - first stamps ofTuvalu, formerly the Ellice Islands.
• 1976 1 January - first stamps of theGilbert Islands (changed to Kiribati in 1979)
• 1977 30 June - United States ends use ofrailroad post offices.
• 1978 - United States begins tocopyright postage stamps and other philatelic items.
• 1979 12 July - first stamps ofKiribati, formerly the Gilbert Islands.
• 1979 -Canal Zone transferred toPanama along with postal service.

• 1982 - United States introducesE-COM, an electronic message service.
• 1983 - United States introducesZIP + 4.
• 1984 21 November - first stamps ofBurkina Faso
• 1985 - Jackie Strange, first female Deputy US Postmaster General
• 1985 - United States terminatesE-COM service.
• 1986 1 January - first stamps ofAruba

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

• 2000, 28 December -Canada issues the world's first 2 part personalized photo stamps, called "Picture Postage".
• 2007, 12 April -USPS issues anon-denominated stamp called theforever stamp^[16][17]
• 2011, 13 July - newly independentSouth Sudan issues its first postage stamps.
• 2015, 1 February -Megan Brennan appointed first female US Postmaster General^[18]

• Wood, Kenneth A.Post Dates: A Chronology of Intriguing Events in the Mails and Philately. Albany, OR.: Van Dahl Publications, 1985ISBN 0-934466-08-4 370p.

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