International Left-Hander’s Day: A cheer to the Uniqueness!

First observed in 1976, August 13^th is marked to celebrate the uniqueness of left-handers. Recognized by Dean R. Campbell, founder of the Lefthanders International, Inc., this day is aimed to raise awareness on advantages and disadvantages of left-handers in a right-handed world.

Some surprising facts about the left-handers that you should know:

• They constitute just 7-10 percent of the whole world!
• In ancient times, left-handers were termed as inferior because the use of left hand was associated with witchcraft.
• Rafael Nadal, Tennis champion, was originally a right-hander. He switched to being a left-handed player as (it is believed that) his coach and mentor Toni Nadal noted it would give him a bigger advantage on the court.
• Five out of the last eight US presidents write with their left-hand- Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.
• Lefties are also called “southpaws”. The term was coined in baseball to describe a left-handed pitcher.
• There’s even a place called Left Hand. It’s in West Virginia, US but sadly the town isn’t named after its left-handed community. It’s actually named after nearby Lefthand Run creek.

Even though lefthanders are few in number, it is believed that they are more intelligent than others. Kudos to the lefties for surviving in a predominantly right-handed world with a pride and proving their uniqueness at every step!