National Pencil Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

National Pencil Day is on March 30, and it is the ideal time to investigate these ancient writing instruments. This basic instrument has had a profound impact on humanity. It enables individuals to express themselves, helps them discover their creativity, and supports all types of scribbles and doodling. Did you know that a single stylus can produce 45,000 words? Have you ever pondered who had the brilliant idea of attaching an eraser to a pencil? Pencils have been in use for centuries and have undergone numerous design changes, but have you ever wondered who had the brilliant idea of attaching an eraser to a pencil? Hymen Lipman was the man responsible for this great discovery and for making our lives simpler. We celebrate this day to honour the excellence of this creation.

The background of National Pencil Day

Who would have guessed that a graphite core encased in a wooden casing could perform such a variety of crucial tasks?

Before the invention of the pencil as we know it, people continued to write with implements such as a fine camel-hair brush or the stylus. (ancient Romans). The Greek poet Philip of Thessaloniki wrote about “lead writing instruments” in the 1st century B.C.

As one of the earliest writing instruments, pencils are believed to have originated in the 16th century, when graphite was discovered. This crystalline form of carbon was discovered near Keswick, England, in 1565 or even earlier. According to legend, a storm uprooted a tree at this location, and clinging to the tree’s roots was a shiny, black substance called graphite! There is no evidence that graphite was discovered in this manner; however, we do know that this location was transformed into a graphite mine a few decades later. Around this time, people began writing with a piece of graphite wrapped in thread.

A. von Laue, a German chemist of the 18th century, discovered the benzene ring. G. Werner gave it the name graphite, derived from the Greek word graphein, which means “to write.” In the early days following the discovery, only local shepherds used graphite to identify their sheep. People referred to it as plumbago — the Latin word for lead, i.e. ‘plumbus’ — or even ‘black lead’ because it resembled lead so closely. This association persisted with graphite and, consequently, pencils.

After Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner published his illustration of a strip of graphite inside a wooden tube, the ‘pencil’ spread throughout Europe. At this time, Britain still held a monopoly on pencil manufacturing and graphite. Due to their conflict with Britain, France was cut off from this supply of pencils by 1794. Thus, French engineer Nicolas-Jacques Conté invented “Crayons Conté,” which consisted of low-quality graphite combined with clay and baked into rods. Continental pencil manufacturers were no longer reliant on the British for pencils.

The invention of Conté stimulated further innovation in the pencil-making industry. Each country — Germany, France, and the United States — conducted their own experiments, and pencil manufacturing became a global phenomenon. These pencils were excellent, but the surrounding wood was not. Frequently, it was of poor quality. People soon came up with the idea of painting pencils to conceal the inferior quality of the wood. Only the most expensive pencils remained unpainted. Then, at the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, an Austro-Hungarian pencil company introduced a new, yellow-colored luxury pencil. It was dubbed Koh-I-Noor after the world’s largest and finest diamond. As a result, yellow became associated with quality, and numerous pencil manufacturers adopted it for their products. Yellow is still used to signify quality on pencils and other writing instruments in the United States.

What about the errors that individuals made while writing? Before there were erasers, individuals would correct their mistakes with balls of stale bread. Then, in 1770, a priest-chemist named Joseph Priestley discovered that gum harvested from South American trees was exceptionally effective at removing pencil traces. Because people had to knead the gum to remove the marks, it was dubbed “rubber.”

Germany was the birthplace of pencil mass production, with companies such as Faber-Castell, Staedtler, and Lyra producing pencils in quantity. In the nineteenth century, the Dixon Ticonderoga Company began manufacturing pencils in Massachusetts. By the end of the 19th century, pencils were extensively used in the United States. Red cedar was the most popular wood for pencils due to its aroma and quality.

Hymen Lipman patented the “modern pencil” on March 30, 1858. It was a wooden graphite pencil with an attached rubber eraser, which he later sold to Joseph Reckendorfer for $100,000.

Since then, pencil production has continued unabated, and billions of pencils are manufactured and sold worldwide. There are numerous varieties of pencils, including graphite, charcoal, grease, and watercolour.

NATIONAL PENCIL DAY ACTIVITIES

Create a picture without using a stylus.

This enjoyable activity is open to both artists and non-artists. Create a drawing without lifting your pencil off the paper. Even drawing without gazing at the paper is possible. Have joy while expressing yourself using this instrument.

Discover a new use for the stylus.

Small plants typically require support as they grow. If you have a small houseplant, you can sustain it by tying a pencil to it. Find new uses for the humble pencil, then innovate!

Make your own personalised pencils

Get personalised pencils with your name or any amusing phrase printed on them. There are numerous methods to manufacture them. Internet search for the finest customised pencil provider in your area.

5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PENCILS

One pencil can sketch a line up to 45 miles in length.

Pencils can also be used to write underwater and in zero gravity.

Each year, nearly 14 billion pencils are manufactured.

In the United States, pencils are painted yellow to denote the highest quality.

“pencil” is derived from the French word “pincel.”

NATIONAL PENCIL DAY DATES