July 1

-- Today in 1963, the United States Post Office began using ZIP codes. The ZIP initially stood for "Zone Improvement Plan," because the new five-digit codes were supposed to make mail easier to deliver than the older city-only Postal Codes. ZIP codes were made mandatory a few years later, and the ZIP+4 began to be used in 1983.

-- Today in 1867, Canada was created when the British Parliament enacted the British North American Act (later called the Constitution Act). It united three separate colonies into a Dominion, which gave them the status of a separate nation within the British Empire. Good day, eh?

-- Although it will technically begin on Monday, July 1 is usually marks the start of the fiscal year for most state and federal government entities. So if you live in Illinois, you're about to watch your state government become a worse investment than those offered by the famed Nigerian barrister e-mails. Rumors that Abraham Lincoln's spirit was seen wandering the halls of the Illinois capitol saying, "I'm from Kentucky, dammit!" are as yet unconfirmed.