On this day in 1943, brothers Laszlo and Georg Bíró filed a patent for what's now one of the world's most common writing instruments. Others had tried to design a self-inking mechanical pen that rolled on a ball, with little success. The Bírós perfected the design, named it the Birome, and opened a pen shop in Argentina. In 1945, the pens went on sale in the U.S., at Gimbel's in New York, for $12.50 each ($145, inflation adjusted). The store sold $125,000 worth on day one, and Bic, which bought the patent, has sold 100 billion-plus since 1950. Rolling, indeed. -- ZW

Wed, June 10
Do The Write Thing
Ballpoint Pen Day

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