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"Penny Black," the world's first adhesive postage stamp is issued by the United Kingdom

The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It was first issued in the United Kingdom on 1 May 1840 but was not valid for use until 6 May.

The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It was first issued in the United Kingdom on 1 May 1840 but was not valid for use until 6 May. The stamp features a profile of Queen Victoria.

In 1837, British postal rates were high, complex and anomalous. To simplify matters, Sir Rowland Hill proposed an adhesive stamp to indicate pre-payment of postage. At the time it was normal for the recipient to pay postage on delivery, charged by the sheet and on distance travelled. By contrast, the Penny Black allowed letters of up to 1⁄2 ounce (14 grams) to be delivered at a flat rate of one penny, regardless of distance.

Historical Significance

The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system.

Events Before

  1. Louis Daguerre demonstrates his daguerreotype photographic process to the French Academy of Sciences

    Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre was a French scientist, artist and photographer recognized for his invention of the eponymous daguerreotype process of photography.

  2. English naturalist and "On the Origin of Species" author Charles Darwin (42) marries Emma Wedgwood (41)

    Charles Robert Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology.

  3. First Grand National steeplechase at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool: Jem Mason wins aboard 5/1 favorite Lottery

    First Grand National steeplechase at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool: Jem Mason wins aboard 5/1 favorite Lottery

  4. Dutch prince Willem Alexander (later William III) weds cousin Princess Sophia

    Dutch prince Willem Alexander (later William III) weds cousin Princess Sophia

  5. Louis Daguerre's daguerreotype photographic process with complete working instructions is published "free to the world"

    Louis Daguerre's daguerreotype photographic process with complete working instructions is published "free to the world" in Paris as a gift from the French government

Events After

  1. China cedes Hong Kong Island to Britain during the First Opium War

    The First Opium War, also known as the Anglo-Chinese War, was a series of military engagements fought between the British Empire and the Chinese Qing dynasty between 1839 and 1842.

  2. Dutch ex-king Willem I marries Henriette d'Oultremont de Wégimont

    Dutch ex-king Willem I marries Henriette d'Oultremont de Wégimont

  3. First continuous filibuster in the US Senate begins, as the Democratic minority attempt to run out the clock on a bill t

    First continuous filibuster in the US Senate begins, as the Democratic minority attempt to run out the clock on a bill to establish a national bank, lasts until March 11

  4. First emigrant wagon train to reach California leaves Independence, Missouri, on a 1,730-mile journey over the Sierra Ne

    First emigrant wagon train to reach California leaves Independence, Missouri, on a 1,730-mile journey over the Sierra Nevada [1]

  5. The first wagon train arrives in California after a five-and-a-half-month, 1,730-mile journey over the Sierra Nevada fro

    The first wagon train arrives in California after a five-and-a-half-month, 1,730-mile journey over the Sierra Nevada from Missouri [1]

More from the 1840s

Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

Explorer and medical missionary David Livingstone (31) weds Mary Moffat

David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish doctor, Congregationalist, pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa.

First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

New York Illustrated News, the first illustrated weekly magazine in the US, publishes its first issue in New York

The Illustrated London News, founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 1, 1840?
The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It was first issued in the United Kingdom on 1 May 1840 but was not valid for use until 6 May. The stamp features a profile of Queen Victoria.
Why is "Penny Black," the world's first adhesive postage stamp is issued by the Unit... significant?
The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system.

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May 1 in HistoryYear 1840