We probably should have guessed that it would be one of the People of the Book who would invent the world’s most popular writing tool. Who other than the people dedicated for generations to replicating God’s words for the world to read could have created a writing instrument that slides across pages for hours on end without refills, maintenance or spill?
Meet László József Bíró (1899-1985), the inventor of the ballpoint pen. A Hungarian Jew from Budapest, Bíró worked as a newspaper editor, but he had trouble getting the news onto paper. Fountain pens were laborious and the ink took a long time to dry and smudged easily. He noticed that the ink used in newspaper printing dried quickly and didn’t smear, but when he tried to fill a fountain pen with the thick ink, it clogged.
So together with his brother Gyorgy, Bíró invented a ball-socket mechanism which controlled the flow of ink and prevented it from drying inside the pen. Placed at the...
Become a Member
-
Read all member content
Get exclusive in-depth reports from Israel.
-
Get exclusive in-depth reports from Israel
Connect with Israel, right from your home.
-
Lift up the voice of truth and hope
Support Jerusalem-based Zionist journalism.
Already a member? Login here.
