OBJECT SHOWCASE: May 15, 1918

The world's first regularly scheduled Air Mail Service began on May 15, 1918. That morning, pilots readied to fly mail between Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New York City. The army continued to manage the service for the next three months. In early August, the Post Office Department took over the airmail service and ran it through 1926.

Examples of envelopes from the May 15, 1918 airmail flights.

Learn more about the Army pilots who flew the flights on May 15, 1918.

Learn more about the creation of the first regularly scheduled airmail service.