Tag Archives: fun facts

July 4, 2025 · 10:58 am

5 Things I Learned This Week

Fantasy and fiction are wonderful, but they’re especially fun when they have a basis in fact! I’m often looking up all sorts of things as I craft a story, and this is my chance to share them with you. Here are five things I learned this week:

  1. We think of bison as an animal mainly in the American West, but at one point in time their territory may have stretched almost to the Atlantic Coast. (There are lots of other bison facts here.)
  2. The first known use of the word ‘lunch’ (in its current meaning) dates back to 1786.
  3. Flannel was invented in the 17th century by the Welsh. (These flannel sheets are my absolute favorite no matter what time of year it is!)
  4. Which came first, the snap or the zipper? It’s one of the most asked questions of all time. The snap was invented in 1885 as a fastener for men’s trousers. The zipper, originally known as the ‘clasp locker,’ was invented in 1893.
  5. Washington Irving, author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, gave New York City its nickname of Gotham.

Some of these facts made it into my Timelines for Writers on my Writers’ Resources page, so be sure to head there for more information! What did you learn this week?

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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 Keeping and 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.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please consider using my links to do your shopping and help me out at no extra cost to you!

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June 27, 2025 · 2:43 pm

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.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please consider using my links to do your shopping and help me out at no extra cost to you!

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