Celebrating International Left-Handers Day 2025: Top Facts & Famous Lefties You Should Know

Celebrating International Left-Handers Day 2025: Today we celebrate the special talents, strengths and quirks of lefties.

Mastering right-handed tools, navigating a world designed for the right-handed majority, lefties have learned to think on their feet and approach life from a different angle. They’re known for being innovative, artistic and outside-the-box thinkers so their differences are something to be celebrated.

International Left-Handers Day was first celebrated in 1976 by Dean R. Campbell, founder of the Left-Handers Club. The day was created to tackle the challenges and experiences of lefties living in a right-handed world.

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It’s to challenge the historical myths and misconceptions around left-handedness and to celebrate the special talents and perspectives lefties bring to everything.

Here are some leftie facts:

1. Lefties are only 10% of the world’s population. So why are most people right-handed? There are different theories. One is people follow the crowd and do what’s easiest when working together. Another is the way our brains are structured, with two hemispheres, might be the reason. It’s possible the left side of the brain, which controls language and movement, has a big role to play in determining whether we’re right- or left-handed.
2. Lefties dominate creative fields like art, music and writing.
3. They tend to chew on the left side of the mouth, whereas right-handers chew on the right side.
4. Lefties have a typing advantage when using both hands. Most keyboard keys used to spell common words are on the left-hand side, so it’s easier and more efficient.
5. As a result of navigating a predominantly right-handed world, left-handed people have developed remarkable resilience and adaptability by dealing with right-handed equipment and tools. They are used to working hard to meet challenges and they've become excellent at problem solving.
6. The brain is situated on the left and right sides of the head, but lefties are more prone to anger than right-handers as they process emotions differently.
7. According to Hosh Yoga, left-handedness is more common in twins than single individuals and though the cause of hand preference is unknown, 17% of twins are left-handed.
8. Historically, left-handedness has been misunderstood and stigmatised. Across many cultures, being left-handed was once considered unlucky or even sinister, a perception that gave rise to the word “sinister," derived from Latin, meaning “left."
9. In the Middle Ages in Britain, lefties were sometimes linked to evil or witchcraft and faced severe persecution. Thankfully those days are long gone but some everyday challenges remain.
10. Lefties struggle with tools and objects designed for right-handed people like scissors, spiral notebooks, can openers and even musical instruments like the guitar.

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Several famous lefties include former US presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

In the UK, notable lefties include ex-Prime Minister David Cameron and wartime leader Winston Churchill. Prince William, the future King of the UK, is a lefty.

Interestingly his great-grandfather King George VI was a lefty too but was forced to write with his right hand by his father King George V.

In music and entertainment, left-handed celebrities include pop star Justin Bieber who initially tried playing a right-handed guitar upside down, that was tough!

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