The zip code is younger than John McCain.
There are two things I find funny about the fact that John McCain is older than the zip code system:
1. John McCain’s first address was something like:
The Parents of Potentially the Oldest Guy Ever to Become President
123 Main Street
East Nowhere, VA 12
Two digits. The country was so damn small that there were only two digits in the postal code.
2. It was a postal inspector who submitted a proposal for an updated system in 1944.
When I go to the Post Office, I’m lucky if I can find someone who isn’t breathing through a tube - but, apparently, in 1944, postal workers were so motivated by what they were doing that they put in overtime developing new systems for delivering mail. (It should be noted, however, that this system wasn’t implemented until the 1960s and, even then, it wasn’t mandatory… thus restoring my faith in their ineptitude.)
N.B.: People are going to post and say that East Nowhere, VA couldn’t possibly be his first address because he was born in Panama. I know - it’s just not as funny. You get the idea.
(Thanks to Brian for the tip!)
I believe that even one- and two-digit postal codes did not come into effect in large American cities (where they were first used) until the 1943, well after John McCain was up and walking.
Comment by Jen — May 21, 2008 @ 5:09 pm
You know who John McCain is older than?
Batman. That’s right. The goddamn Batman.
Comment by tinheart — May 21, 2008 @ 5:32 pm
McCain is also older than…Saudi Arabian oil.
Well, he’s not older than the oil itself. (Or is he?) Rather, McCain was already a one-year old when they discovered oil in Saudi Arabia for the first time.
Comment by tinheart — May 21, 2008 @ 5:36 pm
Actually, it was probably:
The Parents of Potentially the Oldest Guy Ever to Become President
Commander, Coco Solo Naval Air Station
US Panama Canal Zone
BPO 23*
* per a military postal history society website there appears to be about 34 permanent base post offices (BPOs) in the immediate pre-war years
Comment by Kolohe — May 22, 2008 @ 1:36 am
Your last point gives me an idea for a new site- Things More Likely To Actually Be Natural-Born Citizens of the United States (Which is Required of US Presidents) Than McCain. I wonder if anyone has that domain name yet…
Comment by brooklyn gal — May 22, 2008 @ 4:23 pm
no “VA” back then. standard two letter abbreviations for all state came, oh when, the 70s?
Comment by hobermallow — May 24, 2008 @ 12:56 am
Let’s not forget the fact that McCain is so old that the territory where he was born, doesn’t exist anymore. Much like people born in British India, in the Dutch East Indies or in French Indochina.
In fact most of the world’s former colonies are younger than McCain.
Comment by Rob van Kan — May 24, 2008 @ 8:05 am
Those were called zones, and they put them after city name, like “East Nowhere 12, Va.” (or whatever state abbreviation they had then for Virginia since they didn’t have the 2 digit abbreviations yet.) But I think cities had to be a certain size to even need zones, so probably East Nowhere wouldn’t even have one.
Comment by Norah — May 24, 2008 @ 10:45 am
The zip code is younger than Obama too. You are not being fair.
Comment by Bellczar — May 29, 2008 @ 10:01 pm
9,
according to my research, the proposal for the zip code was done in 1944 - pre-obama and i believe even pre-hillary.
Comment by admin — May 29, 2008 @ 10:40 pm
#5,
sorry - that name is taken…. you’ll need to be “dot net”.
Comment by admin — May 29, 2008 @ 10:41 pm
Good catch Hobermallow, and you’re right. We’ve been at the 2 letter abbreviations for so long (except for Fla which still pops up way too often — technologically challenged, are they?). And also right: only big cities like New York and DC had “zones” and even then the numbers were in the middle and not at the end: New York 16, New York.
Comment by Ed F — June 1, 2008 @ 11:34 am
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You must share this with everyone.
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