HomeCuriosity CornerAugust 13 - International Left-handers' Day

August 13 – International Left-handers' Day

 Posted on August 13, 2021


This is an update of my post published on August 13, 2010:

August 13 - International Left-handers' Day









Started in 1976 by Left-handers’ International, this is a holiday that celebrates left-handed people everywhere. Another reason for the special day is to raise awareness among right-handed people about the inconveniences faced by the minority (only around one out of ten people is left-handed).


August 13 - International Left-handers' Day
Left-handed people use special leftie scissors more
easily than normal scissors. Can you see why?


With only 10% of the population being left-handed, we could assume that only four or five U.S. Presidents would have been left-handed… But we would have assumed wrong! There are twice as many lefties among the U.S. Presidents as expected – although not at first! James Garfield, America’s 20th President, was the first leftie – and about half of the presidents since World War II have been left-handed!!


August 13 - International Left-handers' Day


The post-WWII lefties are former presidents Truman, Ford, Reagan (although he did write with his right hand, probably because he was forced to as a kid), Bush Sr., Clinton, and Obama.

By the way, having only one left-handed president in the entire 1800s may be because many teachers used to force kids to write with their right hands – so we just don’t know the handedness of many early presidents!

Some other famous left-handers include Benjamin Franklin, Alexander the Great, Aristotle, Napoleon Bonaparte, Prince William of England, Fidel Castro, Helen Keller, Lewis Carroll, Buzz Aldrin (along with about 25% of Apollo astronauts!), Jay Leno, Winston Churchill, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, Isaac Newton, Morgan Freeman, Albert Einstein, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Marilyn Monroe, Marie Curie, Babe Ruth, Jimi Hendrix, Sir Paul McCartney, and many, many more!


August 13 - International Left-handers' Day

August 13 - International Left-handers' Day


Cra-zy how many famous, smart, talented people are left-handed, huh?

Also on this date:


August 13 - International Left-handers' Day
National Women’s Day in Tunisia 






August 13 - International Left-handers' Day
Anniversary of the opening of Bambi






August 13 - International Left-handers' Day

Feminist Lucy Stone’s birthday


August 13 - International Left-handers' Day
Sharp-shooter Annie Oakley’s birthday




August 13 - International Left-handers' Day


Independence Day in the Central African Republic




August 13 - International Left-handers' Day

Anniversary of an acrobat being crowned King of Albania?


August 13 - International Left-handers' Day


Anniversary of the Aztec Empire being conquered by Spaniards


August 13 - International Left-handers' Day


Birthday of artist Margaret Tafoya




August 13 - International Left-handers' Day




Battle of Flowers in Jersey
(August 12 – 13, 2021)






August 13 - International Left-handers' Day




Art Day

(Second Friday of August)







Plan ahead:


Check out my Pinterest boards for:
  • August holidays
  • August birthdays
  • Historical anniversaries in August

And here are my Pinterest boards for:


  • September holidays
  • September birthdays
  • Historical anniversaries in September



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