By Julie Lavender @JLavenderWrites

July is my birthday month – WooHoo! But, let’s not talk about how many times I’ve been around the sun. Let’s just say the trips move exponentially faster the older you get!

Thinking about birthdays gave me ideas and fodder for writing. Just for kicks, I googled birthdays, inventions, and anniversaries in the month of July. The number of celebrations I found astounded me.

If you need a blog post idea, podcast tip, or maybe even an article or book theme – in whatever month writer’s block plagues your brain – consider searching for momentous dates in history to get the creative juices flowing.

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none” inject=”#BRMCWC #Writing #Writingcommunity”]Happy Birthday to Me and Many Others: Writing Ideas for the Month of July by @JLavenderWrites on @BRMCWC[/tweet_box]

Here are just a few of the many entries for the month of July, just to give you an idea of something you might want to write about.

* In July of 1902, a man named Willis Carrier invented the first modern air conditioner. Working in Brooklyn, New York, he was actually working to eliminate a moisture problem at a printing plant.

* The United States Patent and Trademark Office opened and issued its very first patent on the last day of July, 1790. Since that time, the office has issued over 11 million patents.

* On July 5, 1794, Sylvester Graham invented the graham cracker. Besides “inventor,” Graham’s business card noted this profession: Presbyterian minister.

* NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration celebrates its birthday on July 29 this year. NASA turns 67 the end of this month.

* Also in July, the anniversary of the first human to set foot on the moon takes place. The words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” turn 56 on July 20.

* Happy Birthday to the ZIP Code! The United States Postal Service implemented the ZIP Code system as part of a larger plan to improve the speed and efficiency of mail delivery with automated sorting. Did you know ZIP is an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan?

* On the first day of July in 1952, Silly Putty received a trademark. It took two years to become official.

* Patent number 764,166 granted Albert Gonzales back in 1904 the credit for a railway switch that’s still used today on  many railroads in the United States.

* On my birthdate, though we don’t share the same year, Sarah Goode became the first Black woman to receive a patent in 1885 for the invention of a folding cabinet bed.

* In 1906, Katharine Lee Bates registered a copyright for the song “America the Beautiful.”

* In 1776, men signed the Declaration of Independence, birthing our great nation, the United States.

* And in 2025, these (and many more) turn 25: camera phone, Razor Scooters, PlayStation2, the Segway, and Charles Schulz’s last Peanuts comic strip.

If you’ve hit a creative roadblock for a project due soon or the next greatest article or book idea, consider plundering the Internet for birthdays, anniversaries, and inventions. You might just come up with a really clever celebration to twist and turn and reword to become a fun and informative blog post, article, or book idea.

What cool celebration takes place in your birthday month?

Julie Lavender worked on the computer for many nights until the wee hours of the morning to complete her newest book, Raising Good Sons: Christian Parenting Principles for Nurturing Boys of Faith and Characterthat releases the second week of April. Julie co-authored the book, published by Penguin Random House, with her hubby, David. It’s their first faith-based collaborative effort, though they’ve also recently written twenty-two books for the children’s educational market. Julie is also the author of A Gingerbread House, published by End Game Press.