Laszlo Biro Inventor of the modern ballpoint pen and journalist Date of Birth: 29.09.1899 Country: Hungary

1. Biography of Laszlo Biro
2. Inventor of the modern ballpoint pen and journalist
3. Move to Argentina and the Bic Corporation
4. Legacy

Biography of Laszlo Biro

Laszlo Jozsef Biro was born on September 29, 1899, in Budapest, Hungary, into a Jewish family. His father's name was Mozes Matyas Schweiger, and his mother was Yanka Ulman. Laszlo had a brother named Gyorgy, who was a chemist.

Inventor of the modern ballpoint pen and journalist

Laszlo worked as a journalist in Hungary when he noticed that the ink used in newspaper printing dried quickly on paper and did not smudge. He attempted to use the same ink in a fountain pen but encountered a problem: the ink was too thick. Working together with his brother Gyorgy, Biro developed a new tip for a pen. The tip consisted of a metal ball that freely rolled on the surface of the paper, leaving a trail of ink. Biro patented his invention in Paris in 1938.

Move to Argentina and the Bic Corporation

In 1943, the Biro brothers moved to Argentina, and on June 10, Laszlo and Gyorgy filed an application for a new patent in Argentina. The Biro ballpoint pen began to be manufactured in the United Kingdom for the needs of the Royal Air Force crews, who noticed that such "writing devices" performed better at high altitudes than fountain pens.

In 1945, Marcel Bich purchased the Biro patent, and soon the refills for ballpoint pens became the main product of the "Bic" company. Laszlo passed away in Buenos Aires on October 24, 1985. The inventor's birthday, September 29, is celebrated in Argentina as Inventor's Day.

Legacy

The ballpoint pen is known as "biro" in many countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and Italy. In Argentina, it is commonly referred to as "birome" (or "birom").