1

Hydrox Cookies

Image: Conor Brown

Introduced in 1908, these chocolate sandwich cookies with cream filling were the original, while Oreos followed four years later in 1912 . Hydrox had a crunchier cookie and a less sweet filling, which devoted fans absolutely loved.

Hydrox disappeared from shelves in 2003, leaving longtime fans heartbroken and insisting that they were superior to their more famous competitor. The cookie made a brief comeback in 2015 under new ownership, but it never quite recaptured its former glory or widespread availability.

2

Squeezit

Image: Haley Owens

Squeezit arrived on the scene in 1985 with its unique bottle design that you literally had to squeeze to drink from—no straw needed! The bottles came in wild colors and flavors like Chucklin' Cherry and Grumpy Grape, each with its own cartoon character printed on the label.

General Mills discontinued Squeezit in 2001, crushing the dreams of millennials everywhere who had fond memories of squeezing these bottles a little too hard and squirting juice everywhere.

3

Jell-O Pudding Pops

Image: sheri silver

Bill Cosby might have made these famous in commercials, but it was the frozen treat itself that made Pudding Pops legendary in the 1980s. Introduced in 1979, these weren't your typical popsicles— they had a creamy, mousse-like texture that was somewhere between pudding and ice cream.

Jell-O discontinued the original Pudding Pops in the early 1990s, and despite several attempted comebacks with different formulations, they've never tasted quite the same as the originals. People who remember the real deal insist that the modern versions just don't have that same creamy texture or rich flavor.

4

Crystal Pepsi

Image: Giorgio Trovato

Launched in 1992, this clear cola was supposed to represent "purity" and tap into the clear product craze of the era . It tasted almost exactly like regular Pepsi, which created a weird cognitive dissonance: your brain expected lemon-lime, but your taste buds got cola. Crystal Pepsi flopped hard and disappeared by 1994, but it achieved cult status among nostalgic millennials and Gen Xers.

5

Bonkers! Candy

Image: Edgar Chaparro

"Bonkers bonks you out!" went the commercial jingle, and this chewy fruit candy certainly made an impact when it hit stores in the early 1980s. Each piece was wrapped individually and packed an intensely fruity flavor that was almost overwhelming—in a good way . Bonkers came in flavors like grape, strawberry, and watermelon, and they had a unique texture that was chewier than Starburst but softer than taffy.

Nabisco stopped making Bonkers in the 1990s, and fruit candy lovers have been mourning ever since. There were brief periods when the candy reappeared under different ownership, but it never achieved the same widespread distribution.

6

Dunkaroos

Image: RUMEYSA AYDIN

Introduced by Betty Crocker in 1990, these snack packs came with small kangaroo-shaped cookies and a container of frosting for dipping. The concept was simple but brilliant—make cookies even more fun by turning them into an interactive snack. Flavors included chocolate chip cookies with vanilla frosting, vanilla cookies with chocolate frosting, and the ultimate combo of chocolate cookies with chocolate frosting.

General Mills discontinued Dunkaroos in the United States in 2012, sparking outrage among millennials who considered them a sacred part of their childhood. The good news? After years of petitions and social media campaigns, Dunkaroos made a triumphant return in 2020.

7

Clearly Canadian

Image: 소녀

Before sparkling water became trendy, there was Clearly Canadian— a flavored sparkling water that came in distinctive teardrop-shaped glass bottles . Launched in 1987, this Canadian import became hugely popular in the U.S. throughout the late 80s and 90s. The flavors had fancy names like Wild Cherry, Country Raspberry, and Orchard Peach, and the carbonation was more aggressive than today's LaCroix.

Clearly Canadian largely disappeared from American stores in the 2000s as other beverages dominated the market, though the company never completely shut down. Thanks to a Kickstarter campaign in 2015, it made a comeback, but it's still not as widely available as it once was.

8

P.B. Crisps

Image: Olga Nayda

Planters gave us the ultimate peanut butter snack in 1992 with P.B. Crisps— crispy shell-shaped cookies filled with peanut butter . These weren't ordinary peanut butter cookies; they had a unique, crispy texture on the outside and creamy peanut butter on the inside, creating a perfect contrast.

Sadly, P.B. Crisps were discontinued in 1995 after just three years on the market, leaving peanut butter lovers devastated. No snack has quite filled that void—Nutter Butters are too cookie-like, and peanut butter crackers are too cracker-like.

9

Altoids Sours

Image: Customerbox

These tiny, tangy candies came in flavors like Tangerine, Citrus, and Raspberry, and they packed a seriously sour punch that made your whole face scrunch up . They came in the same iconic tin as regular Altoids, which made them feel substantial and collectible.

Altoids discontinued the Sours in 2010, and fans have been petitioning for their return ever since. There have been multiple online petitions, Facebook groups, and even people hoarding old tins as collectors' items.

10

Snapple Elements

Image: Snappr

Launched in 1999, these drinks came in wide-mouthed glass bottles and had more exotic flavors than typical Snapple offerings . Rain was agave cactus, Sun was starfruit, and Fire was dragonfruit. The bottles themselves were beautiful, with distinctive designs and colors that made them stand out on store shelves.

The Elements line was discontinued in the early 2000s, though Snapple brought back a reformulated version in 2008 that wasn't quite the same. The original Elements had a devoted following who appreciated the more complex flavors and the beautiful bottle design.

1

Postal "Army" (of Sorts)

Image: Emily Powers

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), founded in 1775, is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency . It protects the USPS, its employees, and its customers from crimes such as mail fraud, theft, and identity theft.

USPIS agents investigate mail-related crimes, provide security at postal facilities, and work to stop illegal drugs from being transported through the mail system.

2

Zip codes

Image: Tareq Ismail

ZIP codes were introduced by the USPS in 1963 to improve mail sorting and delivery. The five-digit code, short for Zone Improvement Plan, pinpoints specific geographic areas.

The digits represent a region, a city or county, and a local delivery zone . Today, ZIP codes are also used to study demographics and help businesses target mailings to particular areas.

3

The Postal Anthem

Image: Keagan Henman

The "United States Postal Service Anthem," composed by Jack Stamp (yes, that is his real name), honors the USPS and its long-standing service to the nation. It’s a musical tribute to the dedication of postal workers and the agency’s role in American life.

The lyrics highlight the USPS’s core values: honesty, integrity, and reliability, while celebrating its impact on U.S. history and everyday citizens.

‍

4

Guaranteed delivery

Image: Victória Kubiaki

The USPS is legally required to deliver to every U.S. address, no matter how remote . This includes over 153 million addresses, even in hard-to-reach areas.

To meet this huge challenge, USPS uses curbside mailboxes, local post offices, and partnerships with community centers. Virtual mailbox services, such as Stable, also help remote residents access and manage their mail online.

5

A lot of mail

Image: Sam LaRussa

Every day, the USPS handles over 400 million pieces of mail, including 162 million First-Class items. It delivers worldwide to more than 180 countries through its Global Express Guaranteed service and processes approximately 44% of the world’s mail . That is a lot of mail, by any standard.

To manage this massive volume, USPS uses advanced automation tools and operates over 34,000 retail locations, keeping its system fast, efficient, and reliable.

6

Going out West

Image: Jim Strasma

In the 19th century, the USPS played a vital role in developing the American West, providing new settlements with access to mail, supplies, and communication. Post offices and mail routes connected remote areas to the rest of the country.

This network helped settlers stay in touch with loved ones, receive news, and trade goods. Without the USPS, much of the frontier would have remained isolated.

7

Post office in a tavern

Image: Kevin Snow

‍ The first USPS office was established in Boston in 1775, inside a tavern associated with Benjamin Franklin , who served as the first Postmaster General. Franklin viewed mail delivery as key to America’s independence and began developing a postal network.

The office supported routes to Philadelphia and New York, and by 1789, post offices existed in all 13 colonies.

8

A floating post office

Image: Alessio Billeci

The Halibut Cove Post Office in Homer, Alaska (ZIP code 99603, in case you are interested), is unlike any other: it floats on water!

This tiny post office operates from a houseboat that’s permanently docked , serving the local community right from the harbor.

9

Bad handwriting department

Image: Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

We are not sure as to how often this happens, but it must be often. When automated equipment at a USPS processing plant cannot read a piece of letter mail, an image of the mail is captured and sent to the Remote Encoding Center (REC). At the REC, employees review the image and manually enter the address information .

The information is matched up with a valid address, the data is transmitted back to the equipment at the plant, and a barcode is printed on the letter, which can be read by the processing machines.

10

Mail a brick

Image: Math

Yes, you can mail a brick through the U.S. Postal Service. Just write the recipient’s address and return information directly on the brick with a permanent marker .

Once it’s weighed and stamped with the correct postage, your brick is ready to ship.

11

Someone mailed a kid

Image: Jonathan Borba

In 1913, shortly after the Parcel Post service began, some parents mailed their children to relatives. One baby in Ohio was sent to his grandmother just a few miles away .

The child arrived safely, but the incident led to new rules banning people from being sent through the mail.

1

1776

Image: Bureau of Engraving and Printing., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

During the American Revolution, the Grand Union Flag, also called the Continental Colors, was created to represent the colonies. It featured 13 alternating red and white stripes (symbolizing the original colonies), but instead of stars in the upper left corner like we see today, it displayed the Union Jack.

2

1777

Image: Bureau of Engraving and Printing., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1777, following the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress adopted the first official flag of the United States. It featured 13 alternating red and white stripes, which still honor the original colonies today. Replacing the Union Jack, it introduced a new element that would be key for the rest of its history: 13 white stars set in a blue field, or canton, arranged in a circle to symbolize equality and unity among the states.

3

1795

Image: Nyttend, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

It wasn’t until 1795 that the flag changed again, when two more stars and two additional stripes were added to represent the recently admitted states of Vermont (1791) and Kentucky (1792). This version was the only US flag to feature more than 13 stripes and later became known as "The Star-Spangled Banner", since it was the very flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that would later be the lyrics of the national anthem.

4

1818

Image: Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1818, the flag’s design changed once again. The 15 stripes were reduced back to 13 to permanently honor the original colonies. Five new states had joined the Union, bringing the total number of stars to 20. These stars were sometimes arranged in straight rows and other times in the shape of a large star, which earned this version the nickname "The Great Star Flag."

5

1912

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Each new state joining the Union meant one more star on the flag. In 1912, when New Mexico and Arizona were added, the number of states reached 48, so their stars also took their place. That year, President Taft issued an executive order setting the official proportions of the flag and specifying that the stars should be arranged in six horizontal rows of eight.

6

1960

Image: chris robert

The most recent design change came in 1960. After Alaska and Hawaii joined the Union in 1959, two more stars were added, bringing the total to 50. They were arranged in nine alternating rows of six and five stars, like the official flags you see displayed across the country today.

7

Flag time

Image: Jon Sailer

Beyond its official design, the US flag follows a set of protocols established over the years. One key rule specifies the time to display it: generally, the flag should be flown from sunrise to sunset. If displayed at night, it must be properly illuminated.

8

Weather conditions

Image: Anandu Vinod

The flag code doesn’t just set the time of day; it also indicates the proper weather conditions for display. According to the protocol, the flag should not be flown in bad weather, such as rain, snow, or storms, unless it’s an all-weather flag designed for such conditions.

9

Position

Image: Roger Starnes Sr

Of course, the flag must always have the blue canton in the upper left corner. But there are more rules for its position. When flown with other symbols, such as state flags, the national flag must be in the center and slightly higher. Additionally, if it needs to be lowered from the flagpole, the flag must never touch the ground.

10

Don'ts

Image: Alex Martinez

If you need to handle the flag, it’s important to know the proper way. But it's also crucial to know what not to do. Some of the key "don'ts" include never letting it touch the ground, avoiding creasing it, not writing or drawing on it, and one that might surprise many: don’t use it as clothing or decoration.