This is a partial timeline of significant events in postal history, including dates and events relating to postage stamps.

First century

• Cursus publicus, the state-run courier (and transportation) service of the Roman Empire was established by Augustus.

Fifteenth century

• 1497 – Franz von Taxis established a postal service on behalf of Emperor Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire

Sixteenth century

• 1516 – Henry VIII established a “Master of the Posts”
• 1520 – Manuel I creates the public mail service of Portugal, the Correio Público-Public Post Office.

Seventeenth century

• 1635, 31 July – Charles I made the Royal Mail service available to the public for the first time with postage being paid by the recipient.
• 1639 – The General Court of Massachusetts designates the tavern of Richard Fairbanks in Boston as the official repository of overseas mail, making it the first postal establishment in the 13 colonies.
• 1654 – Oliver Cromwell grants monopoly over service in England to “Office of Postage“.
• 1660 – General Post Office established in England by Charles II.
• 1663 – England’s Imperial Post Office is established in the Colony of Barbados.
• 1671 – King Louis XIV grants monopoly over service in Paris to the family Pagot and Rouillé.
• 1675 – Beat Fischer von Reichenbach granted permission to operate a private postal service in Bern, Switzerland.
• 1680 – The first penny post system, known as the London Penny Post, for local delivery was introduced by William Dockwra in London.
• 1690 – Leon II Pajot builds a privately operated postal center on 9 rue des Déchargeurs in Paris – International Horse Carriages carry Mail from France to other countries. The building, the Hotel de Villeroy still exists, it is used today for private apartments and for the exposition center Cremerie de Paris, the courtyard can be visited by the public.

Eighteenth century

• 1738 the parisian postal family Pajot & Rouille had become one of the wealthiest families in France.
  The Royal French minister of finance cardinal de Fleury estimates that the postal wealth should belong to the Kings of France and nationalizes the privately run postal enterprise. The postal service also leaves the historic Pajot & Rouille buildings (formerly Hotel de Villeroy) located on rue des Dechargeurs / rue des Bourdonnais.
• 1775 – The Continental Congress appoints Benjamin Franklin to be the first United States Postmaster General.
• 1792 20 February – The US Postal Service Act establishes the United States Post Office Department.

1820s

• 1825 – The US establishes a dead letter office.
• 1828 – Hellenic postal service established.

1830s

• 1830 – First mail train in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
• 1831 – Independent Irish and Scottish Post Offices united under the Postmaster General of the United Kingdom, 31 years after the Act of Union
• 1839 5 December – Uniform Fourpenny Post starts throughout the UK.

1840s

• 1840 10 January – Uniform Penny Post starts throughout the United Kingdom.
• 1840 1 May – United Kingdom issues the Penny Black and Two Pence Blue, the world’s first postage stamps.
• 1840 6 May – The Penny Black and Two Pence Blue, world’s first postage stamps, become valid for the pre-payment of postage.
• 1842 1 February City Despatch Post New York local post.
• 1843 1 March – Zürich issue their first stamps: Zurich 4 and Zurich 6.
• 1843 1 August – Bull’s Eyes, first stamps of Brazil
• 1843 30 September – Geneva issue their first stamps: Double Geneva.
• 1845 – Creation of the New York Postmaster’s Provisional
• 1845 – The US star routes begin operation.
• 1847 1 July The United States issues its first stamps.
• 1847 21 September Mauritius issues its first stamps, the Mauritius “Post Office” stamps, or the Red Penny and Blue Penny.
• 1848 – first use of Perot Provisionals in Bermuda
• 1849 1 January – first stamps of France
• 1849 1 July – first stamps of Belgium, known as the “Epaulettes” type
• 1849 1 November – first stamps of Bavaria

1850s

• 1850 1 January New South Wales issues its first stamps.
• 1850 1 January Spain issues its first stamps.
• 1850 3 January Victoria issues its first stamps.
• 1850 7 April Federal Switzerland issues its first stamps.
• 1850 1 June Austria and Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia issue their first stamps.
• 1850 29 June Saxony issues its first stamps.
• 1850 1 July British Guiana issues its first stamps.
• 1850 15 November Prussia issues its first stamps.
• 1851 23 April – The Province of Canada issues its first stamp, the Three-Penny Beaver, designed by Sandford Fleming.
• 1851 – Kingdom of Hawaii issues Hawaiian Missionaries, first stamps.
• 1852 – New Brunswick issues its first stamps.
• 1852 – The Netherlands issues its first stamps.
• 1852 – Scinde Dawks in India
• 1852 – first stamps of Barbados
• 1852 – US issues its first stamped envelopes.
• 1853 – first stamps of Portugal
• 1853 1 November – first stamps of Tasmania
• 1854 – first stamps of India
• 1854 – first stamps of Western Australia
• 1855 – first stamps of South Australia
• 1855 – US initiates registered mail service.
• 1855 – US makes prepayment of postage compulsory.
• 1855 – first stamps of New Zealand
• 1856 1 August – first stamps of Mexico
• 1856 21 August – first stamps of Corrientes
• 1856 – first stamps of Danish West Indies
• 1856 – British Guiana 1c magenta issued
• 1857 – 1 April – Ceylon(Sri Lanka) issues its first stamp.
• 1857 – Newfoundland issues its first stamps.
• 1858 29 April – Buenos Aires issues its first stamps.
• 1858 1 May – Argentine Confederation issues its first stamps.
• 1858 21 July – Moldavia issues its first stamps, just a year before the state’s dissolution.
• 1858 28 October – Cordoba issues its first stamps.
• 1858 – London is divided into postal districts, precursor of British Postcode System.
• 1859 – Bahamas issues its first stamps.

1860s

• 1860 1 November – first stamps of Queensland
• 1860 1 December – first stamps of Malta
• 1860 – Jamaica issues its first stamps.
• 1860 – The Pony Express operates in the western United States for a short time.
• 1860 – A stamp is issued for British Columbia and Vancouver Island.
• 1861 – American Civil War begins, postmasters in South make provisional issues.
• 1861 – first official stamps of Confederate States of America
• 1861 1 October – first stamps of Greece
• 1862 11 January – first stamps of Argentine Republic
• 1862 – first stamps of Antigua
• 1863 – Bolivia creates a private contract for mail but rescinds it six weeks later.
• 1863 – First stamps issued by the Ottoman Empire.
• 1864 – United States establishes railroad post offices.
• 1865 1 November – British Columbia issues first stamps.
• 1865 – Bermuda has its first regular stamp issue.
• 1865 – Vancouver Island issues only stamps solely for the island.
• 1866 – first stamps of Serbia
• 1866 – British Honduras issues its first stamps.
• 1866 – Lombardy-Venetia annexed by Italy, including postal services
• 1866 – first stamps of Egypt
• 1867 1 July – The Province of Canada is joined by Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, creating the Dominion of Canada.
• 1867 – first stamps of Bolivia
• 1867 – first stamps of Austrian post offices in the Turkish Empire
• 1868 – first stamps of Persia
• 1868 – first stamps of Azores