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Period: 255 BCE to 2400 BCE
Earliest documented mail & courier service
Couriers and letters go back to ancient Egypt. The first documented courier was in 2400 BCE when the Pharaohs used couriers to send decrees out throughout the territory of the state. However, the earliest piece of mail was also found in Egypt but dates back to 255 BCE. This type of service was most likely used in other empires back then to administer taxes and keep up to date on things far away in your Empire. The first envelope was made with animal skins, cloth, and veggies. -
Modern Mail System
Jean-Jacques Renouard de Villayer, a Frenchman living in Paris, designed the very first postal system in Paris. He set up mail boxes all around town in front of houses, and delivered letters with enveloped that he also sold. This business didn't last very long however, as mice living in the mailboxes kept scaring away his costumers. -
First Postage Stamp
In England, a man named Rowland Hill created the first ever postage stamp adhesive, and then the first postage system in 1840. He created postage rates based on weight instead of size. His stamps made prepayment of postages both possible and practical. -
UPU
The UPU (Universal Postal Union) was established in 1874. Today they have 192 member countries and sets the rules for international mail exchanges. -
Email
In October of 1969, a man by the name of Ray Tomlinson sent a message from computer to computer through ARPNET. This sparked The idea if creating electronic mail, and in 1971 Ray Tomlinson did just that. -
Gmail
Gmail, a widely popular emailing service was created in 2004 by Google. This is the email I grew up with, and is the email I use all the time. Other electronic mailing services include: AOL, Outlook, Zoho, Mail.com, Yahoo! Mail, ProtonMail, iCloud Mail, GMX Mail, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Yandex Mail.
