Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About International Lefthanders Day

International Left-Handers Day is an international day observed annually on August 13 to celebrate the uniqueness and differences of left-handed individuals.

The day was first observed in 1976 by Dean R. Campbell, founder of Lefthanders International, Inc.

International Lefthanders Day was created to celebrate sinistrality and raise awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed in a predominantly right-handed world.

It celebrates left-handed people’s uniqueness and differences, a subset of humanity comprising seven to ten per cent of the world's population.

The day also spreads awareness on issues faced by left-handers, e.g. the importance of the special needs for left-handed children, and the likelihood for left-handers to develop schizophrenia.

Several media outlets and commercial associations have made one-off posts and compilations of accomplished left-handed people in recognition of the holiday.

Why is August 13 Left-Handers Day?

Continuing the tradition created by Campbell, the Left-Handers Club launched International Lefthanders Day as a part of their organization on August 13, 1992. The aim was to create awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of left-handedness.

What is special about lefties?

Image result for international left-handers day Research shows left-handed people may have a lower risk of developing ulcers and arthritis. They may also recover more quickly from strokes. An older article in the American Journal of Psychology suggests that left-handed people may be better at divergent thinking, a thought process used to generate creative ideas.

Why is it rare to be left-handed?

So why are lefties so rare? Scientists have long tried to answer this. In 2012, researchers at Northwestern University developed a mathematical model to show that the percentage of left-handed people was a result of human evolution — specifically, a balance of cooperation and competition.

What are the advantages of being left-handed? 

Lefties make up only about 10 per cent of the population, but studies find that individuals who are left-handed score higher when it comes to creativity, imagination, daydreaming and intuition. They're also better at rhythm and visualization.

What are the disadvantages of being left-handed?

On the flip side, lefties have some disadvantages too. Lefties are more worried about making mistakes, more sensitive to criticism and are easily embarrassed. Lefties are quick to anger. Left-handed people have a higher risk of brain disorders like schizophrenia, dyslexia or hyperactivity disorders.

Who is the most famous left-handed person?

Top Lefties

• Oprah Winfrey.
• Babe Ruth.
• Napoleon Bonaparte.
• Leonardo da Vinci.
• Marie Curie
• Aristotle.
• Ned Flanders
• Jimi Hendrix. Jimi Hendrix played guitar upside down and backwards, and to his devout fans' parents, it probably sounded like it.

Do left-handers have a better memory?

They found that for different types of word-memory tasks, participants with left-handed relatives had a better memory when it came to recalling events, and an inferior implicit memory. Meanwhile, in a second experiment, the researchers studied episodic and semantic (factual) memory in 84 right-handed undergraduates.

Do lefties think differently?

The fact that they must do daily tasks in a society that caters to people with a different dominant hand makes them think differently in everyday life. ... The article stated, “The world is designed for the right-handed, and lefties have to endure lots of little daily struggles righties might not think twice about.”

What do we call a left-handed person? 

Image result Left-handedness — sometimes called "sinistrality" — means you prefer to use your left hand rather than your right hand for routine activities, such as writing. ... One popular slang term for left-handers is “southpaw." This term originated in the sport of baseball.