Today is the birthday of the zip code. It was 1963 when Zippy helped us get a mail from one place to another because without it ... well it would still be "I sent it in the mail"...
The first number (either 0 to 9 for those who ride the little yellow bus) indicates the side of the country ... 9 is west coast while 0 is east coast --- think 90210). This was followed by two digits that more closely pinpointed population concentrations and those sectional centers accessible to common transportation networks. The final two digits designated small post offices or postal zones in larger zoned cities. [The last section was lifted from the Post Office's data because I wanted to make sure I got it right.]
Four years would pass before the government would mandate that the citizens would actually use this system to send, sort and deliver mail. Like many things with the government, good to have the plan, but have someone else execute it.
Anyway, perhaps growing up Carbo I missed the entire social studies program that talked about how and when a zip code came about ... but I know it now, and perhaps you learned something new. But then, there is that one smart person who can correct some of my facts hahaha so just drop me a letter in the mail ... my zip code is 89002121. There ya have it.
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