Treaty of Bern Creates General Postal Union
By the mid-19th century, international mail faced a patchwork of incompatible rates, routes, and accounting systems across nations. Swiss postal official Heinrich von Stephan proposed unifying these into a single territory. On October 9, 1874, representatives from 22 countries signed the Treaty of Bern in Switzerland, establishing the General Postal Union. The agreement standardized letter rates, allowed each country to retain postage revenue, and eliminated the need for multiple stamps on transit mail. It quickly expanded and was renamed the Universal Postal Union in 1878, becoming a specialized UN agency.
Why it matters: The treaty transformed global communication by creating the world's first international public service organization still operating today, facilitating commerce, diplomacy, and personal connections across borders for over 150 years.