Special Delivery: The Day the Mail Went Mach 1

On June 8, 1959, the United States Postal Service decided that trucks and planes were simply too slow. In a move that sounds like a plot from a Looney Tunes cartoon, Postmaster General Arthur E. Summerfield teamed up with the U.S. Navy to attempt the world’s first official "Missile Mail" delivery.

The Missile-itary Operation

The delivery vehicle wasn't a friendly mail truck—it was a Regulus I cruise missile, a 30-foot-long weapon of war designed to carry a nuclear warhead. For this specific mission, the Navy swapped out the atomic bomb for something far more pressing: 3,000 letters addressed to President Dwight D. Eisenhower and other government officials.

The missile was launched from the submarine USS Barbero off the coast of Virginia. Its target? A naval air station in Mayport, Florida, about 100 miles away.

Speed vs. Common Sense

The missile soared through the sky at nearly the speed of sound, successfully landing just 22 minutes later. Summerfield was so impressed he famously declared:

"Before man reaches the moon, mail will be delivered within hours... by guided missiles. We stand on the threshold of rocket mail!"

Why Your Packages Don't Arrive via ICBM

Despite the successful test, the program was scrapped for a few minor reasons:

• Cost: Spending $1 million on a missile to deliver a few thousand 4-cent letters didn't quite please the accountants.
• International Tension: Firing cruise missiles toward your own coastline during the Cold War was a great way to give the Soviet Union—and your own citizens—a heart attack.
• Safety: The USPS realized that "supersonic delivery to your door" usually results in a smoking crater where the porch used to be.

👑 Bonus Bizarre Moment: The Awkward Coronation

On this same day in 1867, Franz Joseph I was crowned King of Hungary. The man who placed the crown on his head was Count Gyula Andrássy. The awkward part? Just 18 years earlier, Franz Joseph had personally signed Andrássy’s death warrant and had him hanged in effigy for treason. Talk about an uncomfortable reunion!