5 Things I Learned This Week

As a freelance writer, I often need to do a bit of research for a story I’m working on. As someone who loves to learn and falls easily down the rabbit hole of the internet, I always end up with a few new and interesting tidbits!

1. English chemist William Henry Perkin, while trying to work on a cure for malaria, created the first synthesized dye in 1863. It was called Mauveine and is the foundation for most of today’s permanent hair dyes.
2. There are 53 species of salamander in Virginia.
3. Black Angus cattle were first brought to the U.S. from Scotland in 1874. People thought they were odd looking, but they were hardy and interbred well with other cattle species.
4. Edgar Allen Poe wrote one complete novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. Though Poe said it was a “rather silly book,” it influenced the likes of Herman Melville, Jules Verne, and H.P. Lovecraft. That’s not so silly!
5. Thumbtacks were invented in 1900.

Some of these facts have been added to my Old West/Frontier Timeline and my 20th Century Timeline, both of which can be found in the Writers’ Resources section.

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Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois.  She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University.  Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective.  Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous.  Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world.  You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.

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