Communications

1940 Famous Americans: 2¢ Samuel Morse
April 27, 1791

Birth of Samuel Morse

Samuel Finley Breese Morse was born on April 27, 1791, in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Morse is credited with inventing the telegraph and the communication system used for the device, which bears his name: Morse code.

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1964 5¢ Amateur Radio
March 28, 1964

American Radio Relay League Saves Lives 

On March 28, 1964, amateur radio operators provided essential emergency communications in the wake of a devastating earthquake in Alaska.

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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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1980 19¢ Sequoyah
February 21, 1828

First Native American Newspaper 

On February 21, 1828, the first Native American newspaper, utilizing Sequoyah’s Cherokee Syllabary, was printed. The paper presented official laws and documents of the Cherokee nation as well as local and national news.

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2013 UN World Radio Day New York
February 13, 1946

World Radio Day

World Radio Day was established in 2011 to commemorate the creation of United Nations Radio on February 13, 1946.  The UN created its radio service believing it was important for the people of the world to be “fully informed of its aims and activities.”

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1976 13¢ Telephone Centennial
January 7, 1927

First Official Transatlantic Phone Call 

On January 7, 1927, men in New York and London staged the first official telephone call across the Atlantic Ocean. Using radio waves, it made instant communication across the ocean a reality, paving the way for our modern communication systems.

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 US #1683 was issued for the 100th anniversary of Bell’s first phone call on March 10, 1876. Click image to order.
March 27, 1884

Rise of Long-Distance Telephones

On March 27, 1884, the first long-distance phone call between New York and Boston was made.

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