Remembering History Today: Laszlo Biro

[mirosc]

Maybe it's a black day for us, but since it's arguably one of the most influential developments in the history of writing we still might remember it: today, 70 years ago, on June 10, 1943 Laszlo Biro patented his famous ballpoint pen in Argentinia.

 

Well rumor has it that Galileo Galilei had been thinking about such a pen, that prototypes in the 19th centuries were around and Biro himself has patented the ballpoint even before today's event. But it was this patent that got the attention of the British Royal Air Force and the businessman Martin so that they bought it, produced it, sold it - and the rest is history as we say.

 

And it all began when Biro had watched an "ink" (newspaper printing) drying almost instantly when touching the paper and sought of how to improve the way of writing by using such an ink.

 

Even if I prefer fountain pens I still admire Biro and his ingenuity.

 

On a sidenote: I'm working in my "office" - in German that's "Büro"... do you notice something?

[GabrielleDuVent]

Interesting. In England we still call ballpoints "Biro" (haven't heard it anywhere else), but until a few days ago I was firmly convinced it was common noun, not proper, and kept wondering why my spell-check kept insisting I capitalise it.

[RuiFromUK]

Today, besides my fountain pens, I still use my ballpoint Montblanc. Does that count as a 'Biro'?

Edited June 11, 2013 by RuiFromUK

[Lyander0012]

Happens fairly often. That is, when someone or something has had a huge enough influence on a certain thing, then proper nouns often end up being used as common nouns (all thanks to the magic of The Sleeper Effect). In my case, people here in the Philippines don't often say "we're going to photocopy this paper", rather, "we're going to xerox it".

 

Also, I was wondering what biros were. Hmm, learned something new today. Cool.

[mirosc]

In school I learned "biro", too. Never heard of "ballpoint" though. Just with the rise of internet and online communication and all those foreign influences I started to change to ballpoint. Now I hardly use "biro" anymore. Maybe I should switch back to it? :-)

[icardoth]

Here in Argentina the ballpoint pen is usually called "birome", and only formal speaking use the word "boligrafo".

[Wahl]

I don´t like ballpoints, but one of Mr. Biro´s grandsons happens to be one of my best friends !

[rwilsonedn]

Wouldn't most of the writers who were around to witness the rise of the biro have remembered that "ball-point pen" referred to a particular shape of dip pen designed for smooth writing without line variation?

ron

[MC_in_Houston]

Happens fairly often. That is, when someone or something has had a huge enough influence on a certain thing, then proper nouns often end up being used as common nouns (all thanks to the magic of The Sleeper Effect). In my case, people here in the Philippines don't often say "we're going to photocopy this paper", rather, "we're going to xerox it".

 

Also, I was wondering what biros were. Hmm, learned something new today. Cool.

 

And then there was Thomas Crapper....

 

Wouldn't most of the writers who were around to witness the rise of the biro have remembered that "ball-point pen" referred to a particular shape of dip pen designed for smooth writing without line variation?

ron

The term ball pen was used by the Reynold's International Pen Company. First to market in 1945 with a copy of the Biro pen in America, the Reynold's Rocket. They were promptly sued by the Eversharp company who had acquried exclusive rights to the Biro patent.

[dasmarians]

Lazlo Biro was a hungaryan man who had a lot of works, periodist, racing driver, inventor. when was working as a periodist he knews the ex-president of Argentina Agustin Pedro Justo who was in a politcal travel, the president was interested in the invent of the periodist that can write with no leaking, He invite him to argentina and gave a visa, the new pen was invented with help of his chemical brother who made for him a vizcous ink and he invent the system of ball point, the war wascoming and left Europe before the start, he was jew and knows the situation ...run away and come to Argentina,

He left Hungary with his brother thanks to a friend called Juan jorge Meynle ( BIRO+MEynle= BIROME).

His family came some time later, He start to produce his invent in a small garage with 40 workers, In june 10th of 1943 he patented the Birome, and start to sell them, First the only ones who buy his pens were kids, becouse the sellers thinks that this was a toy.. In his last interview hi said " this toy bring to the argentinian bank 36 millions dolars"...

the toy was very popular first for the aviators and periodist becouse the ink dry very fast.

then he left some permissions to eversharp ( 2M dolars) and then to the french marcel BICh. the next was history....

He pass away in 1985

and he lived very near of my house, today this house it's a foundation for inventors, has a conmemorative wall of Lazlo or his Argentinian name: "Ladislao".

I will take a picture and post in this days

 

sorry for my english but this posts helps me to increase the language

Hope you enjoy them

 

[dasmarians]

Sorry ... forget this: one of his last invents was the ball deodorant, becouse he invents perfums also...

In Argentina the 29 september it's the inventor day (Biro birthday)

 

[mirosc]

sorry for my english but this posts helps me to increase the language

Hope you enjoy them

 

 

Yes, it was interesting - thank you!

[RMN]

Sorry ... forget this: one of his last invents was the ball deodorant, becouse he invents perfums also...

In Argentina the 29 september it's the inventor day (Biro birthday)

 

Thank you.

 

I did not realise it before but that deoroller is just the giant version of the ballpointpen. That picture is ideal to explain to people the workings of the BP.

 

D.ick

[beak]

Just realized that one of my friends (Hungarian) is named Biro. Must find out if there's a connection, though, for all I know, the name is a common one there. Always used the name 'biro' growing up in England, and not sure when I first heard 'Ball-point'.

[Chouffleur]

From the misty depths of time ... (bump).

 

Happy Birthday László.

[peterg]

We knew them as Bics or Biros. Time to Hoover this topic up?

[Dip n Scratch]

Original & genuine Argentinian Birome ballpoints are collectible.

I guess that it was the use of the ballpoint pen by aircrews of the Royal Air Force that started to popularize them in the UK. You could take them anywhere without leakage.

Who'd want to mess about with a lever filler or dip 'n scratch after that little wonder?

Edited October 1, 2018 by Dip n Scratch