Important Events in Postcard History
1861 - The Lipman's Postal Card, 'COPY-RIGHT SECURED 1861', Philadelphia.
1869, October 1 - Austria issued the world's first postal card. In the next few years, Austria's example was followed by many other countries: Switzerland (1870), Belgium (1871), Spain (1873), Italy (1873), Greece (1876), most of Scandinavia.
1870, October 1 - Britain issued first postal card, for use in that country only.
1871, June - Canada (the first non-European country) issued their first postal card.
1871-72 - The second edition Lipman card.
1872 - The first Russian postcard.
1873, January 15 - France issued their first postal card (120 x 78 mm).
1873 - Germany issued first official postal cards.
1873 - The first U.S. government postal card, one cent rate, including the imprinted stamp.
1873, June - Romania issued their first postal card (CARTA DE POSTA).
1873, December - Japan's first postcard was issued. See year
year conversion table for Japanese postmarks.
1875 - General Postal Union was formed, at a meeting held in Berne, Switzerland.
1875, July 1 - Britain issued their first postal card for foreign use.
1878 - Universal Postal Union (UPU) congress held in Paris.
1878 - France issued first official postal cards (140 x 90 mm).
1882 - The first commemorative postcard was issued in Germany for the Nuremberg Exhibition.
1889 - Pictorial card showing the Eiffel Tower, engraved by Léon-Charles Libonis.
1890 - Gruss Aus (Greetings from) cards.
1893 - The World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The first commercially produced pictorial card.
1894 - Britain issued first picture postcards.
1897 - Heinrich von Stephan died in Berlin, having made a profound impact on the standardization of mail service worldwide.
1899 - Raphael Tuck & Sons issued their first postcards.
1900 - The World's Exposition in Paris.
1902 - Great Britain became the first country to allow divided back cards, allowing senders to write both a message and the recipient's address on the back of the card.
1920 - Art Deco designs.
NOTE: Divided backs appeared in 1902 in England, 1904 in France, 1905 in Germany, and 1907 in the US.