National Ballpoint Pen Day is celebrated today to mark the filing of the patent for the revolutionary new device on June 10, 1943. We take it for granted today but before then you had to use a pencil or fountain pen.

And that spotty device only came about in the 1800’s. Before that came the inkwell and quill pen.

And of course a quick look at my grade school workbook shows what I had to deal with as a youth.

Okay, I’m not quite that old, just feels like it sometimes…

As always you can find more at http://www.walterthinnes.com and on Twitter @walterthinnes