The five- and ten-cent stamps of 1847 were the first adhesive postage stamps
authorized for issue by the U.S. Post Office Department, in response to a law
passed on March 3, 1847. The law took effect on July 1, 1847 and made illegal
the use of postage stamps not authorized by the Postmaster General. Although
the first stamps were supposed to be made available to the public by July 1, only
the New York City Post Office received any stamps by that day, followed a day
later by Boston on July 2nd. 

A 1963 U.S. Post Office sign with Mr. Zip encouraging the use of ZIP codes

The United States Post Office Department implemented postal zones for large cities
in 1943. By the early 1960s a more general system was needed, and on July 1, 1963,
non -mandatory ZIP codes were announced for the whole country.Simultaneously with
the introduction of the ZIP code (Zone Improvement Plan). Also introduced was the
two-letter state abbreviations. 

"Use Zip code" labels were also used to promote the use of a ZIP code.

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the 
American Civil War, with the two armies suffering between 46,000 and 51,000
casualties.It is often described as the war’s turning point. Union Maj. Gen.George
Gordon Meade’s Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by Confederate Gen.
Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, endings Lee’s invasion of the North.

Major General George Gordon Mead

General Robert E. Lee

The Battle of San Juan Hill, also known as the battle for the San Juan Heights, was
a decisive battle of the Spanish-American War in Cuba. The names San Juan Hill
and Kettle Hill were names given by the Americans. This fight for the heights was the bloodiest and most famous battle of the War. It was also the location of the greatest victory for the Rough Riders (pictured below) as claimed by the press and its new commander, the future Vice-President and later President, Theodore Roosevelt. He
was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2001 for his victorious actions in
Cuba. Overlooked then by the American Press, much of the heaviest fighting was
done by African-American troops.  

San Juan Heights Blockhouse is pictured in background

Roosevelt (center) and his Rough Riders atop San Juan Hill.

Col. Roosevelt in Rider uniform