National U.S. Postage Stamp Day is a holiday celebrated every July 1st. This day commemorates the postage stamp—a unique form of currency that allows letters to be mailed anywhere in the world inexpensively and easily. The first postage stamp in the United States was issued on July 1, 1847—and it is this date that the holiday commemorates.

Stamps aren’t just used to mail letters, however. Many people collect them for fun and profit. Regardless of your interest in this holiday, just about anyone can celebrate it by taking the time to learn more about stamps and the U.S. post office.

Interesting Facts About Postage Stamps

We thought it would be fun to go over some interesting facts about postage stamps that we found while learning more about National U.S. Postage Stamp Day. So, we took a few moments and listed some of our favorite stamp facts below.

• The first adhesive postage stamp in the world was the Penny Black, issued in the UK on May 1, 1840.
• Seven years later, on July 1, 1847, the U.S. issued their first adhesive stamp, featuring Benjamin Franklin.
• In 1966, the first Royal Mail Christmas stamps were issued in Britain.
• One of the most famous stamps with an error is the 1918 Inverted Jenny airmail stamp, which had an inverted airplane on it.
• The St. Louis Post Office issued provisional stamps featuring two bears holding a heraldry disc in 1845.

Observing National U.S. Postage Stamp Day

This holiday can be observed by adding to your stamp collection, learning more about the U.S. post office, or simply by using the old-fashioned method of communicating with another person called mailing a letter. People can also use the hashtag #USPostageStampDay on social media to spread the word about this holiday.