Good morning, everyone. Today we're going to discuss the history of the postal service. You might be surprised to learn that the first organized postal system was not in Europe, but in ancient Persia around 550 BC. It was called the 'Angarium' and used mounted couriers to deliver messages across the empire. However, the system was primarily for royal and military use, not for the general public. It wasn't until the 19th century in Britain that the Penny Post was introduced, which made mail affordable for ordinary people. This innovation, spearheaded by Rowland Hill in 1840, involved a uniform low rate based on weight, not distance, and prepaid postage stamps.