The U.S. Postal Service ZIP Code…
The ZIP code is the system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service. The letters ZIP are an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan and were chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use it. By the early 1960s improvements were needed in the postal service due to increasing volumes and on 1st July 1963 ZIP codes were announced for the whole country. This might not sound like a really big issue but I mention it because for many years I had a lot of difficulty understanding what a ZIP code was as post codes were not introduced to the whole of the United Kingdom until over ten years later in 1974.
Have Bag, Will Travel 
Canada has postal codes, too! If I remember correctly they came out around about the same time – in the early 1970’s. I haven’t graduated to IP codes…
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I seem to remember that they took a while to catch on but are just an accepted part of the postal service now! Thanks for the comment.
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The postal system is slowly dying here in the US, with email and social media in full flourish. Young people are just not into snail mail. I have always sent postcards wherever I traveled. But in our last vacation to Tuscany and the south of France, I too have been guilty of just emailing photos and greetings.
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That’s progress and a lot of people’s jobs as well!
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Hah hah what a great entry for foreign Andrew. Interesting history.
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