360What happened in 1840?
3 moments from 1840 on 360n60, each told in 60 words or fewer.
- History · 6 May 1840
The Penny Black, the first postage stamp, comes into use
On 6 May 1840, the Penny Black became valid for postage in Britain, the world's first adhesive postage stamp. It showed the young Queen Victoria and paid for a letter anywhere in the country for one penny. The idea, from the reformer Rowland Hill, made sending letters cheap and simple, and other countries soon copied it.
- 1840 · from The 1840s: stamps, anaesthesia and the first computer program
Penny Black stamp issued
- 6 May 1840 · from The Penny Black, the first postage stamp, comes into use
The stamp becomes valid