The ballpoint pen has been a tool enjoyed by office workers, writers, and everyone who has ever penned a heartfelt handwritten letter to a loved one for many years now. Before the invention of this pen, people had to use either a pencil or a fountain pen for their writings. Over the years, millions of ballpoint pens have been sold around the world, so it’s no wonder that they’ve finally earned some much-needed respect with their own holiday. This holiday is observed on June 10th annually and is known as National Ballpoint Pen Day.

The History Of National Ballpoint Pen Day

At this time, we’re unable to uncover the history of this holiday. However, we did manage to find out when the ballpoint pen was invented, so we decided to disclose it here. The ballpoint pen was first invented during the late 19th century by John J. Loud, and he received a patent for his invention on October 30, 1888. The purpose of this pen was to be able to write on rough surfaces such as wood or leather, and in that capacity, it worked well. Unfortunately, it was too coarse for letter writing.

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, there were a variety of ballpoint pens invented and manufactured, and many of them suffered from the same problems. With some, the ball socket was tight, or the ink was too thick, which prevented the ink from properly reaching the paper. For others, the ink was too thin, or the ball socket was too loose, so the ink would smear all over the place. Fortunately, many of these problems were solved by Laszlo Biro during the 1930s.

Biro was a Hungarian newspaper editor who was pretty unhappy with the state of ballpoint pens at the time. He noticed that they either leaked or smeared and were tedious to fill up. So he decided to invent his own ballpoint pen. While he was thinking about the problem, he noticed that newspaper ink dried quickly and didn’t smear, so he decided to make a ballpoint ink formula based on it. With the help of his brother, who was a dentist with a general knowledge of applied chemistry, he was able to develop the perfect ink formula for a ballpoint pen.

After developing the right ink, he then went on to create a ball-socket mechanism that worked well with the ink. He then filed a British patent on June 15, 1938, for his Biro ballpoint pen. Since then, a variety of ballpoint pens have been manufactured by companies such as Eversharp, Reynolds International Pen Company, and the Miles-Martin Pen Company.

Observing National Ballpoint Pen Day

National Ballpoint Pen Day can be observed simply by taking some time to appreciate the humble ballpoint pen. This pen has made the lives of millions easier since its inception and is worthy of its own holiday. While observing this holiday, be sure to use the hashtag #NationalBallpointPenDay on your social media accounts to spread the word about it.