That Time the U.S. Postal Service Tried Missile Mail (June 8, 1959)
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
- Today for the equivalent price of a decent cup of coffee you can get the United States Postal Service to pick up and deliver a letter to anywhere in the continental United States in just a day or two. But it hasn't always been that way and there’s a reason they call it "snail mail". To get around the problem, for a brief time in the 1950s the USPS dared to dream big- like rocket ship big... Yes, on June 8, 1959, the then named U.S. Post Office Department, in conjunction with the US Navy, launched a rocket laden with what they officially dubbed MISSILE MAIL!
For the text version of this video and references, go here: www.todayifound...
The adverts in old magazines are often more interesting and informative than the editorial content.
It's always very interesting to read surrounding stories as well in these old magazines and newspapers. Some awesome stuff sometimes.
Today I Found Out you lot need to do a slideshow
especially those found in vintage comics
Congreve rockets are perhaps best remembered today via being immortalized in the lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner- "rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air..."
On another note, really unfortunate for the Niuafo'ou islanders that their attempt at using these rockets for sending and receiving mail didn't work out. Rocket Island is a way more badass moniker than Tin Can Island...
Also, just think of it- Amazon Fire Sticks delivered not within a day or two, but minutes, of ordering, all via shooting off slightly more literal Amazon fire sticks... probably with lasers involved somewhere. Just saying... -Daven
Today I Found Out We are in the wrong timeline
I just read it in your voice and it is amazing.
I guess this explains why there were "bombs bursting in air" instead of bursting on the ground where they might have done some good/damage. Congreve rockets kind of sucked.
Today I Found Out I mean, why not.
Today I Found Out Amazon Fire stick delivered by an Amazon FIRE! stick.
The duck is back!
It's not just the continental U.S., it's any United States territory, so a letter from Alaska to Texas will cost the exact sam as a letter from Seattle to Guam, which will cost the same as a letter from Washington D.C. to Puerto Rico, which costs the same as a letter from Los Angeles to Sacremento, which is all cheaper than sending a letter from El Paso to Mexico City.
I don't know how they manage to get mail across the continent in 2 days, I am still as of Friday waiting for an envelope that was sent (per tracker) on Tuesday, from a city that's 50 miles from me. Perhaps if I relocated to Nome, AK the service would improve.
"Message for you Suh!"
Jim Fortune
Concorde! Concorde, speak to me! "To whoever finds this note, I have been imprisoned by my father, who wishes me to marry against my will. Please, please, please come and rescue me. I am in the tall tower of Swamp Castle." At last! A call, a cry of distress! This could be the sign that leads us to the Holy Grail! ...Brave, brave Concorde! You shall not have died in vain!
Jim Fortune LMFAO 😂😂😂 eeeeeee
jmalmsten I'm not dead yet
@@arturdent5168 "Tis just a flesh wound."
Like the tie in to the old Popular Science/Mechanics magazines. Love their how-to articles in the 1930’s.....
Loving On this Day series. I love how the duck keeps making an apperance.
He's kind of the mascot of the Today In History series at this point. ;-)
As well he should be.
Feedback: was awesome!
Especially enjoyed some of the visual aids in this case :D
Quality stuff as usual from you and your crew, Mr. Whistler 😉👍
I don't even have to watch the video to know I'm going to like it. Not only because I really like Simon and his crew's work, but because this is one of my favorite crazy use of rocketry stories. Thanks for the videos guys. Now on with the show. *:-)*
This can‘t be true?!? Austria is too big for a Illustration that says that these towns are 6 km apart from each other
Yeah the distance he showed of austria is actually about 320km. There is another St. Radegund close to Kumberg.
Love TIFO and having another, with a theme, is the proverbial cherry. Thank you to your whole team for their work!
0:55-1:04 I couldn't help but think of that scene from Monty Python where Prince Herbert fires an arrow with a cry of distress and it hits Concord. I love that scene between Lancelot and Concord.
YOUVE GOT MAIL
"Oh sweet!"
Insert footage from ww2 v2 rockets here
There's no way I could ever give you a thumbs down Simon. You & all the people behind the camera do way too good a job researching the topic of the day. I hope all of you have a wonderful day & a great weekend. You deserve it!
'Never really got off the ground.' oh my
It's the little things...
Thumbs up for the bonus fact mention of the first hands-free telephone device! As a disabled person I use voice transcription and such very heavily on my own phone and home devices, and I had no idea that was invented as early as the 1930s! *snaps*
Loved it as expected! Keep em coming, Pretty Please with a chocolate covered cherry on top! and I want to send a GIANT THANK YOU, to every single one of you on the team. The Thank You is for all the hard work you do looking up all that interesting and accurate information ya'll share! I watch all your videos and share when I can. The entire team is marvelous. The lot of you are a consummate of dayly wonderment for my eyes and ears alike.
You're group consistently has some of my favorite videos on various topics. Good job and keep up the good work.
I remember that "rocket mail" was used as the cutting edge technology in several comics when I was a kid. A Donald Duck comic had Uncle Scrooge repeatedly having to rebuild his money bin because it kept being in the way of various government projects, like a dam or a highway. And when he finally built it on a mountaintop far out in the middle of nowhere, it turned out to be in the path of the mail rocket. Also, when Clark Kent once moved from newspapers to TV, his first job was to cover the first launch of the mail rocket. I wonder of these storylines were inspired by Postmaster Summerfield and his enthusiasm.
I'm loving this series. I have many relatives, including my mom, who works for the post office. This was really amusing.
I love these new videos. I hope enough people agree to justify keeping it going.
I love this channel’s writer. Coupled with Simon and the researchers, it makes for a great channel. I swear, with a format change, you guys could make a TV show out of this.
Thanks! :-)
There's much more to that British invention than just employing a speaker. Speakers were around way before that.
What he solved is the problem of squeal. The feedback.
It's not easy to use which is why even into the 70s speaker phones were unheard of.
How did he do that?
Love this series. Gety daily of this day in history. Please keep it going. Thank you.
1- Collect mail
2- Put said mail on male mallard
3- ???????
4- PROFIT!!!
Love your channels so much! Thanks, Simon and David!
I would love to get missile mail sounds like a cool and badass idea
The duck cameos r cracking me up so hard, first time I smiled since I found out about Anthony Bourdaine yesterday. Love your channels bud keep up the good work!
Keep up the good work, I'm really enjoying the new series!
Haven’t finished watching but love it already. More today in history! Love the format and new background!!
omg this is awesome I love this show
I love the new series, I watch every day. Thanks for the time you spend putting this cool stuff together.
Love "today in history ".
Keep them coming.
Artillery mail: "That idea never really got off the ground" well played Simon well played.
another brilliant video
I can only imagine how badly postal collectors want those rocket mail souvenirs.
I actually like this series more than your normal videos
Bring back rocket mail
Maybe start a crowd-fund, then contact Yahoo to make them an offer.
drone mail is now a possibility
Thank you so much for your boring videos! Whenever I have trouble sleeping I know I can play 5 mins of any of your vids and I'm out for the night
Sounds like something out of Fallout. Any Fallout game.
Bernardt Suddens meh, kind of, but I can’t imagine that as a game mechanic
Stalin Did Nothing Wrong I know, more like some part of the lore, like how they had atomic powered cars and household items during the war.
One way that could be implemented, if you buy an item. It can be delivered at your location with a crashing missile. Lol
Great episode/great concept- thanks, Simon (and co) !
Please put a duck cameo in every Today In History video please! 😂
Loving the querky delivery! And the fact that the mallard was back made my day lol love little hat tips like that (know there is an actual term for that but think of it)
Love the new series.
Living in the first coast area of Florida, that's the first I've heard of rocket mail... Learn something new every day.
MuskMail, amyone?
If Bezos doesn't do it, Musk might just be crazy enough to try someday. ;-) If nothing else, this will need to be a thing when sending physical mail/packages too and from Mars. Perhaps Bezos is already preparing for this with his rocket company. Wonder what the Prime fee will be on that one. :-)
Impractical nonsense that'll never really work well nor be better than other systems, likely based on old ideas already tried and failed? Sounds neat...
In the unlikely case that SpaceX BFR flights to destinations around the world do become like boarding an airliner, it would make sense that they would also adopt one of the other duties that airliners currently are used for: carrying mail and packages
Man you guys do some great work on this channel, keep it up!
The frenetic editing style is exhausting.
I much prefer your usual style.
Did anyone else hear "Rocket Mail" (Rocket Man by Elton John) playing in their mind? No? Just Me? Oh, well...
Jack Linde nope, not just you.
Nope, mine was playing Major Tom.
Rocket Man, aka Missile Male
No but now I do haha
Anarchy Antz ...you mean space oddity by david bowie -_-
one of my favorite songs m80
I enjoyed the bit of added humor and the call back (duck hump). I always did enjoy your even drier humor in the previous series though.
Thanks Simon, I always get good stuff from you!
Simon showing so much emotions is startling
Apparently, anything was possible in the fifties. This is amazing.
ICBM: Intercontinental Ballistic Mail.
You missed an historical fact that trumped the U.S. Defense Department's use of the "Mail Rocket" to send a message to the Soviet Union in 1959. That was the year the Soviet Union sent a message to the whole world about their rocket capability by launching into space the first artificial satellite Sputnik.
Rocketmail is the original name of the web email company that Yahoo purchased about 20 years ago to serve as the basis for the Yahoo email service that continues to this day.
I get the feeling we will never truly be free of that Randy Duck.
..
..and I guess I'm okay with that.
You should really just do tifo in this style. Honestly, this is just another TIFO episode with a lighter tone. I mean I'm not complaining about have 2 videos a day, I love it!
_You've got mail... _*_INCOMING_*
This exact topic shows up in the ESL textbook I use in one of my classes. I am definitely going to have some extra details after this. Thanks a bunch.
I love your shows. Please include more interesting snippets from old newspapers.
After the Rocket Man and The Rocket (Maurice Richard), here is the Rocket Mail! Love concept that doesn't translate to reality!
Love the series!!!!!!
Rocketship big **shows battleship**
Of course, because a Saturn V is not impressive enough /s
Interesting! But how did the rocket land? They aren't exactly built for smooth ladings on runways.. or did they eject the payload ?
i'm guessing parachute was part of the delivery system
Awesome video as always... Bonus points for the duck.
I am really enjoying this new series, but then again...i love all of the serifes you guys do.
This is a great series, keep it up!
I always feel like other people think I'm talking to myself when I'm in the car using Bluetooth.
the videos just keep getting better and better......you are just awesome
While a rocket assist device was a part of the Regulus launch system, the the Regulus cruise missile itself was powered by an air breathing jet engine, and had wings. So it was more like an airmail by robotic aircraft. It was self guided, and unlike the ballistic Congreve and probably the other rocket mail attempts, which landed wherever the winds aloft would allow it to go in a general direction within its circle of probability, the point of displaying the Regulus to the Soviets was how accurately it could guide itself to its intended recipients.
You’re having WAY too much fun with that mallard meme.
Nice throwback to the duck.
Great video, nice work as always. Still missed a great chance to use a well-placed pun at 9:11 by using "Took off" rather than "caught on". Ah well, keep up the great work.
Miss-ul or as ye fellow Brits would say Miss-isle. Still I love this channel and watch it a lot. Keep up the good work.
I love the new series, look at how diverse the events are, I think it's great idea.
Looks like the the idea went up in flames
SO Glad you included the duck. Made my day.
Im liking this segment so far i hope it is still going on in november i want to see some facts about things that happened on my birthday even if it isnt my birth year
Simon, the USPS definition of a day or 2 translates to 3-4 days at best. I've actually had mail go from New Hampshire to Washington state quicker than from Seattle to Tacoma.
Random I know: Does leaving comments on your videos help your channel at all? Because I'm confused at just HOW to help the channels I follow.
Not sure on that one. The number 1 way to help a channel algorithmically is to watch the majority of the videos from the channel and watch them all the way through. :-) Sharing is also huge.
UA-cam also counts "interactions", which includes comments. I don't think comments translate to money, but they do have a effect on how likely YT is to recommend the channel.
Interactions and engagement of the viewer counts in the algorithm. The amount of effect that a comment has is only known by UA-cam.
I've also wondered if watching the ad all the way through helps or not.
I don't know - you'd think YT would tell us. Just in case, I do watch the ads all the way through for youtubers I do want to support. (Unless it's a Praeger U ad. I refuse to watch those things for anybody.)
That speaker with microphone sounds like an amazing invention! I need to hurry up and invest in it!
Rocket mail delivery of uranium from Amazon would be the closest you can come to calling an ICBM on yourself
"Straight up the chaussée!" is my new catch phrase. Gonna try that out at sporting events.
Love the continuity with the goose thing.
Love the pun (potentially unintended) the rocket mail effort in germany "never really got off the ground" LOL
gives mail-bomb a new meaning
Gives a new meaning to the term "going postal".
That would be the coolest mail truck ever.
Holey crap!, that damn duck!! Thanks +TIFO for the best laugh I've had today.
Good show! 😸
NECRODUCK!
A lot more metal than drone delivery.
"I ordered some new shoes!"
"Oh, when are they gonna get here?"
*SHWUMP of rocket crashing into back yard*
"Right now, apparently."
Thanks *Simon* for teaching us ALL a *valuable lesson about the Illusive Necrophilic Mallards!* 👍 Love your Brainfood Podcast. Perhaps I should drive an hour North to listen in *BRAINerd!*
We DO have a VERY mean bird that's kinda related to mallards (in general, not saying they AREN'T Necrophilic) it's called "The Loon". It's our state bird, next to the crowd favorite "Mosquito"...must be Spanish/Something 😄
Your video is very interesting and amusing (poor chickens) but the bonus fact is best. Please gives us more old ads.
Delivered anywhere in the world in under 25 minutes. Warning may cause retaliatory 2nd strike.
Keep these going, they are great
St. Radegund isn't in Upper Austria, but Styria. :)
If you type in St Radegund into Google Earth it does take you to a place labeled Sankt Radegund in Upper Austria. If you search for Kumberg you can see what must be the correct St. Radegund (labeled as Sankt Radegund bei Graz) as it is only 4km away. Not knowing about any of these places myself I can see this being a little confusing. I did think the map seemed inaccurate for 6km. I was willing to chalk it up to artistic licence in the illustration.
+motorin25 That must be a mistake, St. Radegund is just a few km away from where I live, maybe there is an other one and the line is WAY too long for 6km. But hey, everyone makes mistakes. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I'm diggin' the maps in the background.
I have a message for the Action Man, "I'm happy, hope you're happy too."