Ballpoint Pen Day
Who decides which “momentus” days in history deserve to have their own holiday? Take today, for example. My trusty source for holidays and observances reports that today is Ballpoint Pen Day. Who knew?
Yes, 64 years ago, the first ball point pen was sold. As Fast Company reported:
On this day in 1943, brothers Laszlo and Georg Bíró filed a patent for what’s now one of the world’s most common writing instruments. Others had tried to design a self-inking mechanical pen that rolled on a ball, with little success. The Bírós perfected the design, named it the Birome, and opened a pen shop in Argentina.
In 1945, the pens went on sale in the U.S., at Gimbel’s in New York, for $12.50 each ($145, inflation adjusted). The store sold $125,000 worth on day one, and Bic, which bought the patent, has sold 100 billion-plus since 1950.
If you want more details about the history of the ball point pen, click here. Otherwise, as you pick up a pen today – and we all will at some point – say happy birthday, and then use it to write something spectacular!
Tags: Holidays
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June 10, 2009 at 7:52 am
[...] And in case you’re interested – today is Ballpoint Pen day. [...]