Ballpoint Pen Day

Ballpoint Pen Day is celebrated on June 10th to honor the Bíró brothers, László and György, credited with inventing the ballpoint pen. On this day in 1943, they filed a patent application for the pen with the European Patent Office. These early models became the first commercial ballpoint pens. Later, the patent rights were purchased by the British Parliament, and the pens were used by the Royal Air Force during World War II due to their reliability at high altitudes, where fountain pens failed.

Celebrate this unique holiday by taking a break from typing and writing a letter to someone you love. Start a pen collection and see how big it can grow! Instead of throwing away an old pen, buy a refill. Draw a picture, practice your signature, or wish someone a “Happy Ballpoint Pen Day!” Whatever you choose, make it a memorable and enjoyable day.

Ballpoint Pen Day Interesting Facts

• An average of 100 people die each year from choking on a ballpoint pen.
• Early ballpoint pens had bent rods for higher ink capacity but later adopted straight rods to save costs.
• In most European languages, the word “ball” is part of the name for ballpoint pens.
• László Bíró, the inventor of the ballpoint pen, passed away on October 24, 1985, at the age of 86.
• 125 ballpoint pens are sold every second worldwide.
• One-third of the ballpoint pens in the United States are owned by BIC.
• Since 1983, BIC has sold over 7 billion ballpoint pens in the U.S. alone.
• An average American uses 4.3 pens annually.
• A ballpoint pen has a lifespan of approximately 50,000 words.
• The world’s most expensive ballpoint pen, the Montblanc Ballpoint, costs $730,000.

Ballpoint Pen Day Jokes

• When NASA started sending astronauts to space, they discovered ballpoint pens didn’t work in zero gravity. NASA spent a decade and $12 million developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface, and at extreme temperatures. The Russians used a pencil.
• A doctor, with a rectal thermometer behind his ear, enters a staff meeting. A coworker asks about it. The doctor grabs it and exclaims, “Damn, some patient has my ballpoint pen!”
• Why were the three drops of ink from the ballpoint pen crying? Their mother was in the pen, and they didn’t know how long the sentence was.

Ballpoint Pen Day Quotes

• “My two fingers on a typewriter have never connected with my brain. My hand on a pen does. A fountain pen, of course. Ballpoint pens are only good for filling out forms on a plane.” — Graham Greene
• “Many established novelists retain the eighteenth-century method of writing books in their own hand. They like to see the words emerge on the paper; it gives them a sense of control.” — George Greenfield
• “I still draw a lot. Ballpoint pen is my preferred medium.” — Mackenzie Crook
• “I write everything with fountain pens. I’ve never liked writing with pencils or ballpoints.” — Tony Kushner

Ballpoint Pen Day Destinations

• Visit the Pen Museum in Birmingham, England.
• Buy ballpoint pens and start a pen collection!
• Rent a book or documentary about pens from the library.
• Visit the Museum of Writing Instruments in Hanover, Germany.

Alternative titles for this holiday include: National Ballpoint Pen Day, International Ballpoint Pen Day, Ballpoint Pen Anniversary, and more.

When is Ballpoint Pen Day in 2025?

Ballpoint Pen Day is observed annually on June 10.

Observations