The Biro turns 80: How a simple pen rewrote everyday life
6 months ago
- #history
- #writing-tools
- #inventions
- The Biro, or ballpoint pen, revolutionized writing when it was introduced in 1945, becoming an everyday essential.
- Before the Biro, writing involved messy and impractical tools like fountain pens, which were expensive and had limitations.
- László Bíró, a Hungarian journalist, invented the first practical ballpoint pen with his brother György, using viscous ink similar to newsprint.
- The Biro gained popularity during WWII when the British RAF used it for its leak-proof design at high altitudes.
- Post-war, the Biro's design was refined, leading to mass production and affordability, with innovations like the Bic Cristal dominating the market.
- The ballpoint pen changed writing habits, making cursive less common and block letters more prevalent, altering written communication significantly.