Friday, April 17, 2026
This stamp will be born on April 18
The newest in the Happy Birthday series features a cake with candles
The Postal Service will release its new Happy Birthday stamp on Saturday, April 18.
The Forever stamp is a nod to birthdays being one of the most widely observed personal milestones, as well as the continued popularity of sending birthday greetings through the mail.
Birthdays have been celebrated for thousands of years, though traditions have changed over time.
In early U.S. history, birthday observances were limited to wealthy or national figures, such as George Washington. It was not until the late 1800s that average Americans began to mark the occasion, thanks to an increase in disposable income and changes in parenting philosophies.
The stamp design features an image of a white cake trimmed with a pink scalloped edge. Nine lit candles sit on top in orange, pink, white and red.
Hand-drawn lettering in blue, orange, red and pink spells out “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” in capital letters.
Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp with original artwork by Lisa Congdon.
This is the fifth birthday-themed stamp issued by the Postal Service. Previous birthday stamps were released in 1987, 1988, 2002 and 2021.
The Postal Service will dedicate the stamp during a ceremony in Providence, RI.
The Happy Birthday stamp will be available in panes of 20 at Post Offices and on usps.com.
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People
Character-building adventures
FL students send Flat Stanley on his way, and a mad dash for a VIP package in MN
Flat Stanley — a children’s book character who becomes two-dimensional after being crushed by a falling bulletin board — discovers that flatness has its advantages, including the ability to slip through a mail slot.
The 1964 character is the basis of the Flat Stanley Project, an educational endeavor that began in 1995 to encourage schoolchildren around the world to mail paper cutouts of the flat fellow to friends, celebrities and even landmarks in order to track his adventures.
About 90 second-graders recently visited the Jensen Beach, FL, Post Office to do just that.
The outing offered a lesson not only in geography, creativity and literacy, but in how their local Post Office works. Students were greeted by Postmaster Melissa Potawsky. They also met letter carriers and retail associates, and got a behind-the-scenes look at mail operations.
The youngsters proudly posted their envelopes, sending their iterations of the paper avatar into the mailstream and on to new adventures.
Tag team effort secures very important package
The Tracy, MN, Post Office had recently been told to expect a Priority Mail Express Cremated Remains shipment, but it failed to show up on the appointed day.
Tracy Postmaster Sue Schreier regularly monitored its tracking and tagged the shipment in the Package Remote Encoding System to ensure it was directed to Tracy when it surfaced.
The family due to receive the shipment regularly called the Post Office for updates. They were hoping to get the ashes in time for a funeral service.
Schreier alerted nearby USPS facilities as well as Kelly Buesgens, customer relations coordinator for Minnesota-North Dakota District, to be on the lookout.
The day before the service, the shipment was located in Eagan, MN — about 150 miles away. After a mad dash from Eagan to Tracy, the set of packages eventually arrived, thanks to the efforts of Schreier, Buesgens and others.
“The family was so grateful to have the packages in time for the funeral and thanked us numerous times,” Schreier said. “It felt good to be part of this amazing team.”
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News Quiz
The hiring window opens
What do you know about applying to become a postal inspector?
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end.
1. Which of the following is not a requirement for becoming a postal inspector?
a) Being between the ages of 21 and 37
b) Being willing to travel
c) Having no felony or domestic violence convictions
d) Running a mile in less than 10 minutes
2. True or false: OIG agents can legally use social media posts to build a case against USPS employees who allegedly file bogus workers’ compensation claims.
a) True
b) False
3. Where were the Figures of the American Revolution stamps released?
a) Lexington, MA
b) Valley Forge, PA
c) Washington, DC
d) Yorktown, VA
4. Which of the following are proper ways to avoid vishing scams?
a) End a suspicious call
b) Report the call
c) Verify the call
d) All of the above
5. How did Chicago Letter Carrier Luz Vasquez distinguish herself when an apartment building caught fire?
a) She administered first aid to several of the older residents.
b) She carried two small children from the building just before a large explosion.
c) She safely caught a young girl who jumped from a first-floor window.
d) She used her volunteer firefighter training to help put out the blaze.
Answers: 1) d. 2) a. 3) c. 4) d. 5) b.
Postal Bulletin outlines mail transportation equipment safety
Postal Bulletin’s latest edition, published April 16, looks at using mail transportation equipment safely.
Updates to the organization’s policies, procedures and forms are also included.
Employees can go to usps.com to read and download the latest Postal Bulletin, along with past issues.
View past printouts
Printout details
What's included
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This stamp will be born on April 18
The newest in the Happy Birthday series features a cake with candles
-
People
Character-building adventures
FL students send Flat Stanley on his way, and a mad dash for a VIP package in MN
-
News Quiz
The hiring window opens
What do you know about applying to become a postal inspector?
-
Brief
Postal Bulletin outlines mail transportation equipment safety