Short answers, pulled from the story.
The earliest dyed flax fibers were discovered in a cave in the Southern Caucasus, now modern-day Georgia, and date back 36,000 years. This finding suggests that ancient people used wild flax to create linen-like fabrics long before the invention of agriculture.
The Tarkhan dress, dated between 3482 and 3102 BC, stands as one of the oldest woven garments in the world. It was found in ancient Egypt where linen was sometimes used as a form of currency.
Louis Crommelin was a leader appointed overseer of the royal linen manufacture of Ireland who settled in the town of Lisburn near Belfast. He was appointed by the Government to develop the industry and established the Board of Trustees of the Linen Manufacturers of Ireland in the year 1711.
Flax fibers vary in length from about 25 to 150 millimeters and average 12 to 16 micrometers in diameter. There are two varieties including shorter tow fibers used for coarser fabrics and longer line fibers used for finer fabrics.
Russia produced about 80% of the world's fiber flax crop at one time and was the country's greatest export item. The linen industry was very significant to Russia and its economy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
United States currency paper is made from 25% linen and 75% cotton. In 1923, the city of Bielefeld in Germany issued banknotes printed on linen.