
In this photo provided by the National Archives and Records Administration, mail is loaded onto a Curtiss JN-4H "Jenny" biplane, May 15, 1918, at Bustleton Field near Philadelphia, while U.S. Army personnel look on. (National Archives and Records Administration via AP)
Philadelphia has played a significant role in US history, and the history of the United States Postal Service.
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Saturday marks the 250th birthday of the United States Postal Service, which began in Philadelphia on July 26, 1775, under the direction of Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin.
The USPS has released two new stamps to commemorate the milestone.
Not only was the USPS born in Philly, but the first airmail flight touched down in the City of Brotherly Love as well. This photo from that maiden voyage shows the Curtiss JN-4H “Jenny” biplane at Bustleton Field in Northeast Philadelphia on May 15, 1918, where the aircraft stopped en route from the Washington D.C. area to New York City.
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