Most Americans know their ZIP code by heart. They type it into online forms, scribble it on envelopes and memorize it as part of their address. But not everyone knows the original meaning of the term.

On July 1, 1963, the U.S. Post Office Department introduced the ZIP code program to get a handle on the heaping surplus of mail. Today, those five digits represent much more for American society. Back ...

Mr. Zip, a gangly cartoonish figure with wide friendly eyes and a neat blue mail carrier's uniform, emerged fifty years ago to help the U.S. Postal Service promote its newest idea: five numbers added ...

We all have one, we know it by heart, and we share it with our neighbors. But chances are you haven't thought that much about this ubiquitous part of American life — the ZIP code. We all know about ...

Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Most Americans know their ZIP code by heart. They type it into online forms, scribble it on envelopes and memorize it as part of ...