International Left-Handers Day

International Left-Handers Day

International Left-Handers Day

International Left-Handers Day is celebrated each August 13. It was created by the Left-Handers Club on August 13, 1976, to celebrate being left-handed and to increase awareness of the challenges a left-hander may face. I am not left-handed, but my grandmother was and I remember her talking about the challenges she faced being left-handed in a right handed world. In reading about left-handers, I learned some interesting facts and thought I would share the following:

  • Only 10-12 percent of the population is left-handed.
  • Lefties often learn to be ambidextrous because the world is geared towards being right-handed (i.e., buttons, zippers, scissors, guitars, etc.).
  • There have been eight Presidents who were lefties (James A. Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Harry S Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama).
  • If you’re a left-hander you may want to visit Left Hand, West Virginia. It is located in Roane County. It is said to be named after nearby Lefthand Run Creek and it is also said to sit on the left-hand fork of the Big Sandy River.
  • There are college scholarships available for left-handers.
  • There are many innovators, artists and thinkers who are/where left-handed (Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Bill Gates, and Oprah Winfrey).
  • Studies have shown that 50 percent of dogs favor their left paws.

Whether you are left-handed or just know someone who is left-handed, remember on August 13 to celebrate how special they are and recognize the challenges they face every day in this right-handed world.

Happy International Left-Handers Day to all you lefties!