serendipity
The origin and history of serendipity.
Etymology
Coined in 1754 by the writer Horace Walpole, based on an old Persian fairy tale, "The Three Princes of Serendip," whose heroes kept stumbling onto good fortune by accident.
Class of 1754
serendipity first entered the language around 1754. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1754 →