Left-handers are said to make up 7-10% of the population, but for such a small minority, they’ve certainly had a impressive impact on our lives. For instance, eight of the 45 men who have served as the President of the United States have been left-handed (including five of the past eight Chief Executives: Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama).
It hasn’t always been so easy for left-handers, though. The ancient Greeks associated the right hand with good and the left with evil. In North America and western Europe, left-handed children were often forced to write and perform tasks with their right hands, sometimes with their left hands tied behind their backs—even into the 20th century.
Today, we’re a bit more enlightened about left-handers. In fact, they have their own special day: August 13 was first designated International Left-Handers Day in 1976, and it’s still celebrated today. So click through to meet some of our favorite inspiring southpaws!
