Everyday Life
Game 60
The Little Mailman in a Hurry
On Every Envelope
A video by SmithsonianNPM
The game's question
Read each clue aloud and pause as soon as the little figure is back in front of you.
On July 1, 1963, every address in the country got a new five-digit code. To spread the word, the post office used a cartoon mailman, drawn in full stride with his mailbag. Four years later, eight in ten Americans knew who he was, and children wrote to Santa using the North Pole’s own code. What was the little mailman called?
- Punchy
- Mr. ZIP
- Poppin’ Fresh
Need a hint?
His name is the new code itself: three letters for Zone Improvement Plan. Who brought the mail on your street, and what did you hope to find?
See the answer
Answer: Mr. ZIP—he helped the whole country learn the ZIP code, from 1963.
Why this game : The mail was a daily event: letters from relatives, cards, a package now and then. The little mailman leads right to those stories.
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Go further
Help! Who's Going to Take Care of My Parents?The book all these games come from.
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