Looking for some out of the ordinary trivia facts related to courier, delivery and postal services? We’ve put together a few obscure facts that you may find interesting to know. It may not win you a fortune on Jeopardy, but if you’re looking for some offbeat conversational starters at your next get together, you can impart your wisdom about all things related to courier services to get the conversation rolling. Or better yet, you may want to save this info for your own enjoyment and stick to something a bit more stimulating when you’re gathering with friends!
Here’s a few facts you probably didn’t know about the history of courier services:
- The first documented courier service was in Egypt in 2400 BC. During that time, the Pharaohs utilized the equivalent of modern-day couriers to deliver their documents and correspondence where it needed to go.
- Wells Fargo was the name of the first courier service within the United States. This preceded the widely known Pony Express.
- The United Parcel Service (UPS) was started in 1907 by two teenagers and was originally called the American Messenger Company. It wasn’t until 1919 that the company adopted the name that it is known by today.
- Tom Hanks worked for FedEx in the movie Cast Away. A truck from the same company was used to help Julia Roberts escape from her wedding in Runaway Bride.
- GFD Courier used to be located just steps away from the World Trade Center. The company is now headquartered in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where it touts an extensive storage facility.
- DHL stands for Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn.
- Although Royal Mail, a postal service in the United Kingdom (UK), was established in 1516, it was only made available for public use in 1635 under the reign of King Charles I.
- The underground railway system of the London Post Office, called “Mail Rail” was put into use in 1927 but closed in 2003 because it was determined that it was more expensive to use than regular above ground transportation of the mail.
- The word “mail” comes from the medieval English word “male” that means “travelling bag” and is not at all etymologically related to the word that refers to gender.
- The word “marcophily” is the study of postmarks, including postal markings and cancellations.
We hope you learned something fun about the history of delivery, postal and courier services!
Want to know more about the courier services offered by GFD Courier in the metropolitan NYC area? Contact us at 212-349-3644 or 718-222-7444.
