Today’s the day I wait for all year. No, it’s not my birthday or even Christmas — it’s International Left Handers’ Day! So, what better way to celebrate this special day than with some random trivia about some of the best people in the world: lefties?
1. Did you know that left-handed people only make up 15% of the population?
That’s right! 85% of the country doesn’t have southpaw bragging rights.
2. We have our own holiday.
Duh. It’s why we’re here!
3. Four of our last six presidents were left-handed.
We typically view right-handedness as “good” and left-handedness as “bad.” But though this stat is likely coincidental, the mirror image we see in the Oval Office gives us the impression that us lefties are on the up and up!
4. Famous lefties include Oprah and the Biebs.
Oh, and we’re also practically royalty since Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Prince William all prefer using their left hands.
5. We’re allegedly more creative!
This is because left-handers may favor the right side of the brain, which is responsible for creativity. I’m a photographer and writer , it must be true, right? I mean, it’s on the Internet!
6. Moms over 40 years old are more likely to have left-handed children.
In one study, New England researchers discovered that moms over 40 were twice as likely as younger moms to have southpaw children.
7. Ned Flanders’ Leftorium could be real.
Seriously, we have our own scissors, baseball gloves, bowling balls, and even notebooks!
8. Twins are more likely than single births to be left-handed.
One Belgian study looked at 1,700 pairs of twins and found that nearly 21% were left-handed, which is 5 percent more than the general population.
9. We can thank sports for our “southpaw” moniker.
The “American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language” says that the word “southpaw” originated “from the practice in baseball of arranging the diamond with the batter facing east to avoid the afternoon sun.”
10. It’s more likely that a child will be left-handed if one parent is a lefty, too.
Guess what? My mom is also a southpaw!
International Left Handers Day acknowledges us lefties who are surviving a right-handed world. So how can you observe this amazing day as a righty? Take a left-handed friend out for lunch or to the movies when the world is normal again. Or even better, try doing everything with your left hand today!
If you’re a lefty, you can share a picture on social media today with the hashtag #LeftHandersDay — our entire lives are a celebration anyway.
Feature Image by Sprina Huang from Pexels
