The long-term uses for a product do not always materialize during the inventor’s lifetime. Such was the case with Mark Twain — the celebrated writer born Samuel Clemens — who filed a patent for a clothing accessory when he was 35 years old. Twain found wearing suspenders uncomfortable, so he came up with a device he called an “Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Straps for Garments.” What he envisioned was a versatile two-piece strap — preferably elastic — that fastened with hooks. The hooks were inserted into a series of rows of small holes, chosen depending on how snug (or loose) the wearer wanted their garment. Twain thought this simple, gender-neutral tool could customize the fit of a wearer’s vests, shirts, pantaloons, or stays, a corset-like object that women wore under dresses.

Huckleberry Finn was based on a real person.

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Twain shared in his autobiography that Huck Finn, the title character of his 1884 novel “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” was based on a boy named Tom Blankenship, who grew up in the author’s hometown of Hannibal, Missouri.

When Twain submitted his patent in September 1871, Henry C. Lockwood was attempting to patent a similar invention he described as an “elastic waist-strap.” Utilizing a process known as “interference,” the U.S. Patent Office had both men compose statements in order to determine which design originated first. Twain responded by writing a characteristic short story, explaining how he had given the idea thought for four or five years before making his prototype that August. The office accepted his claim to being first, and patent No. 121,992 was granted to Twain on December 19, 1871. However, thanks to changing fashions — waistcoats with adjustable buckles, dropped waistlines that accommodated belts — his garment straps were not produced for several decades. In 1914, four years after Twain’s death and long after his hard-won patent expired, Mary Phelps Jacob patented the first bra from handkerchiefs and ribbon. When she sold her patent to the Warner Brothers Corset Company, they added Twain’s straps to the back to keep the garment in place.   

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In late medieval and Tudor England, rulers believed that lower-class men had two main responsibilities: working and preparing for possible combat. Thus sports and games — a distraction from said duties — were often subject to legislation, especially if people bet on their outcomes. King Edward III banned bowling in 1361, although Henry VI allowed it again 94 years later. During Henry VIII’s 16th-century reign, he banned bowling anew, as well as tennis, bocce ball, cards, and dice. However, those with more resources could apply for special bowling licenses to play on their own greens, and although the laws prohibited bowling alleys, Henry VIII had lanes installed at Whitehall Palace for himself. There was just one time of year when common people were allowed to enjoy bowling: the 12 days of Christmas. Although citizens were rarely cited for challenging this bowling ban, the law endured for more than three centuries.  

Four consecutive bowling strikes are known as a “turkey.”

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The nickname for four strikes in a row is a “hambone.” Meanwhile, bowling three straight strikes is a “turkey,” six straight strikes is a “wild turkey,” and nine straight strikes is a “golden turkey.”

British, German, and Dutch settlers brought the pastime to America, where lawmakers launched their own strikes against bowling. Stateside bowling alleys in the 1800s were mostly owned by bars, so elected officials linked the activity to gambling and crime. In 1841, Connecticut banned nine-pin bowling lanes, and other areas of the country followed suit. To bypass the statutes, bowlers added a 10th pin, creating today’s game. As of 2018, the U.S. had just 19 nine-pin bowling alleys, all in Texas, a state that began taxing operators prior to Connecticut’s ban. 

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