Google doodles with a ballpoint pen

Thursday’s Google Doodle celebrates the birthday of László József Bíró, inventor of the ballpoint pen.

Before the ball-point pen, writing in ink was a much messier affair. The fountain pen, which had a reservoir filled with ink, was much easier to write with than a dip pen, but still prone to smudging and taking valuable time to refill. This is where László Bíró, born 117 years ago today on 29 September 1893, came in. A Google Doodle commemorates the occasion.

Google doodles with a ballpoint pen

Google honors Laszlo Jozsef Biro, ballpoint pen inventor, on his 117th birthday