Born on October 30
First Ballpoint Pen Patent
Write someone a note by hand.
Next: October 30, 2027
Where it comes from
On 30 October 1888, the United States granted patent number 392,046 to John J. Loud of Weymouth, Massachusetts, for a pen with a small rolling ball at its tip. Loud wanted to mark rough surfaces that an ordinary pen could not, such as wood and coarse wrapping paper, and his pen worked well on leather.
How it's celebrated
There is no organised observance, so mark it the way the ballpoint deserves: pick one up and write someone a note by hand. A birthday card, a thank-you on a sticky note or a letter to a grandparent all count. Germany's patent office tells the pen's story among its inventions that made history, including Loud's patent.
Did you know
The first practical ballpoint came 50 years later, when the Hungarian journalist László Bíró and his chemist brother György paired the ball with a quick-drying ink like newspaper ink, and Bíró patented it in Britain in 1938.
Read the full story of First Ballpoint Pen Patent
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Scorpio · October 23 – November 21 · Water sign
Intense and private, with a loyalty that runs deep.