International Left-Handers Day
Next: August 13, 2027
Here's to the lefties.
The story
Where it comes from
International Left-Handers Day was launched on 13 August 1992 by the Left-Handers Club, a British group formed in 1990 to keep left-handers in touch, make their views known to manufacturers, run an advice line and support research into left-handedness. The idea was a yearly day when left-handers everywhere could celebrate being left-handed, and when everyone else could learn about the advantages and disadvantages of living in a right-handed world. Some sources say 13 August was first proposed in the United States in 1976, but the club says it knows nothing more about that.
How it's celebrated
In Britain the day has brought left-against-right sports matches, left-handed tea parties and pubs handing out left-handed corkscrews, with drinks and games played with the left hand only. 'Lefty Zones' celebrate left-handers' creativity and sporting skill, while right-handers try everyday left-handed tools to feel how awkward the wrong equipment can be. Anyone can join in: try writing your name with your other hand, or ask the left-handers you know what they find tricky.
Did you know
- A 2020 analysis of 200 studies covering almost 2.4 million people put the share of left-handers at about 10.6%, roughly one person in ten.
- Among people of East Asian ancestry the figure was lower, about 5.7%, which researchers link to past pressure on children to switch to the right hand.
- The Left-Handers Club is free to join and says it has more than 140,000 members around the world.
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