Ballpoint Pen Day

Get your ballpoint pen and write something on your calendar. National Ballpoint Pen Day recognizes useful writing instruments and celebrates the filing of a patent on June 10th, 1943.

Ballpoint Pen Day is celebrated every year on June 10th and is a rather fun and whimsical holiday. This day encourages us to honor this humble product found everywhere, in our homes, schools, art studios, offices, and more. Most people have used a ballpoint pen once in their life, and for many, it holds a special place in their lives.

History of Ballpoint Pen Day

Ballpoint Pen Day celebrates the achievements of László and György Báró, two Hungarian brothers who were the architects of the ballpoint pen. The consensus is that Ballpoint Pen Day occurs on June 10 because it was June 10th, 1943, that László Báró had filed a patent application for his pen.

László Báró first tried to prevent the pen from smudging by trying to use newspaper ink in a fountain pen. This proved ineffective because the ink was too thick for the pen. With his brother's help, Báró later created the ball and socket for the ballpoint pen. A metal ball at the end of the pen sits inside a socket, allowing it to rotate. The quick-drying ink rolls onto the pen surface, while the ink is more concentrated on the side of the ball facing the inside of the pen, then rolls onto the surface, repeating the process. Báró invented his first ballpoint pen in 1931, which was exhibited at the Budapest World's Fair that year.

Báró intended to manufacture his pens in Hungary with his business partner Andor Goy, but as World War II approached in 1938, Báró fled to Argentina after being unable to find refuge in Europe. He founded a company that made his own pens and patented them in 1943. These pens are said to work well not only on land but in the air, not leaking in flight like other pens. They were demonstrated for the Royal Air Force in London and the United States Air Force in Washington, D.C., and subsequently entered Allied production.

Ballpoint pens were commercially produced in 1945. The first commercial ballpoint pen was Reynold's Rocket, which was first sold at Gimbels in New York City. The pens were quite expensive at first, but their prices have decreased over time. Báró sold his patent to Marcel Bich, who created the Bic pen, which further spread the popularity of ballpoint pens around the world. Ballpoint pens eventually replaced fountain pens as the most popular type of pen. Today they are used around the world and are considered to be affordable and reliable. Some ballpoint pens sell for as little as a few cents, and on average they can write about 50,000 words or 100 pages. In a nod to their creators, they are sometimes referred to as "biro" pens. But the Báró brothers don't just have a pen named for them. Today they have an entire day dedicated to them!

Some facts about Ballpoint Pen

• Customized ballpoint pens

Approximately 56% of individuals own a custom ballpoint pen.

• The first word with a ballpoint pen

Most of the time, when a person receives a new ballpoint pen, they test it by writing their name.

• Medium pens used

In the United States, the average person uses about 5 ballpoint pens each year.

• Average amount of words written

A ballpoint pen can write about 50,000 words in average.

• Sell marbles

About 125 ballpoint pens are sold every second.

How to celebrate Ballpoint Pen Day

• Buy a stack of ballpoint pens

To celebrate Ballpoint Pen Day, you can buy a stack of ballpoint pens. You can keep them for your own use or even give some away to your colleagues or friends.

• Only write with ballpoint pens

On Ballpoint Pen Day, whatever writing work you have to do, make sure you only do it with a ballpoint pen. It can be a simple signature on a document or a letter; however, you should use a ballpoint pen!

• Decorate your ballpoint pens

If you have some spare ballpoint pens lying around, why not decorate them? You can doodle on them with permanent markers or stick small stickers on them. Make a quirky and fancy ballpoint pen, and then let show it off.

Why we love Ballpoint Pen Day

• Ballpoint pens are cheap

Ballpoint pens hardly ever make a hole in your pocket. They cost only 20 cents. They are affordable and anyone can afford them.

• They are a perfect choice for both left- and right-handed people

Due to the nature of the ink of fountain pens and gel pens, left-handed people often experience messy writing. However, the ballpoint pen dries instantly and is the perfect and comfortable product for left-handed as well as right-handed people.

• Ballpoint pens have many colors

Ballpoint pens come in a variety of ink colors such as red, blue, green, black and more. Especially, they are more versatile than fountain pens in tradition.