Good morning, everyone. Today we're going to discuss the history of the postal service. Surprisingly, the first organized postal system wasn't in Europe, but in ancient Persia around 550 BC. Riders on horseback would relay messages across the empire using a series of way stations. However, these services were only for government use. It wasn't until the 19th century that the first public postal service, with prepaid stamps, appeared in Britain. This innovation, introduced by Rowland Hill in 1840, made sending letters affordable for ordinary people. So, while Persia had the first system, Britain truly democratized mail.