The Universal Postal Union began as the General Postal Union, created by a treaty signed in Bern and based on an initiative of Heinrich von Stephan, the postmaster general of the German Empire. The founding members agreed to treat the territory of all members as a single postal area, with uniform rates and without the need for separate bilateral agreements. It took its present name a few years later, and today almost all countries belong. Based in Bern, it sets the rules for the international exchange of mail, and since 1948 it has been a specialised agency of the United Nations.
Before and after
- 20 March 1873Birth of Sergei Rachmaninoff
- 3 July 1873Discovery of 10P/Tempel
- 11 October 1873League of the Three Emperors
- 17 November 1873Founding of Budapest
- 1874Founding of Universal Postal Union
- 25 January 1874Birth of William Somerset Maugham
- 8 March 1874Death of Millard Fillmore
- from 15 April 1874 to 15 May 1874Brooks-Baxter War
- 25 April 1874Birth of Guglielmo Marconi
More in Society, economy & sport
- 12 May 1792Founding of New York Stock Exchange
- c. 1800sRise of nationalism
- 17 February 1863Founding of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
- 23 June 1894Founding of International Olympic Committee
- from 6 April 1896 to 15 April 1896The first modern Olympic Games open in Athens
- 21 May 1904Founding of FIFA
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.