Inventors

1963 5¢ Science
March 21, 1826

Rensselaer Polytechnic Incorporated

On March 21, 1826, the Rensselaer School was incorporated in Troy, New York.  Later named the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, it’s considered the oldest continuously operating technological college in America and the English-speaking world.

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1973 8¢ Postal Service Employees: Mail Pickup
March 9, 1858

Street Mailbox Patented

On March 9, 1858, iron manufacturer Albert Potts of Philadelphia patented an early mail collection box.  His mailbox was affixed to a lamp post for the convenience of mailers.

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1940 10¢ Alexander Graham Bell
March 7, 1876

Alexander Graham Bell Patents Telephone

On March 7, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received the patent for the telephone. Three days later, Bell transmitted the first recognizable words over a telephone line.

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1928 2¢ Wright Brothers Airplane
December 17, 1903

Wright Brothers’ Famed First Flight

On December 17, 1903, brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first successful heavier-than-air flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

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1940 1¢ Eli Whitney
December 8, 1765

Birth of Eli Whitney

Eli Whitney was born on December 8, 1765, in Westborough, Province of Massachusetts Bay. Most well-known for his invention of the cotton gin, he was also pioneer in mass production.

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1947 3¢ Thomas A. Edison
October 6, 1889

Thomas Edison Tests his First Motion Picture

Adding to his long list of inventions, Thomas Edison tested his first motion picture film on October 6, 1889.

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2020 55¢ Fruits and Vegetables
September 6, 1916

First Modern Grocery Store

On September 6, 1916, the first self-service grocery store as we know it today opened in Memphis, Tennessee.  The store was Piggly Wiggly, and it revolutionized the way people bought groceries.

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1996 32¢ Pioneers of Communication: Frederic E. Ives
February 17, 1856

Birth of Frederic Ives

Frederic Eugene Ives was born on February 17, 1856, in Litchfield, Connecticut. He developed the first successful half-tone process and invented the “Kromskop,” which projected three identical images through different colored filters to produce some of the first color photographs.

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1996 32¢ Computer Technology
February 15, 1946

Unveiling of ENIAC

On February 15, 1946, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was unveiled to the public. It’s considered the first general-purpose electronic digital computer.

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