International Left-Handers day 2022: Here's all about significance, interesting facts

International Left-Handers day is observed on August 13. The day is observed to raise awareness about left-handed people and their experiences in this right-hand dominant world. There are many prominent leaders and celebrities who are left-handers across the globe including Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Ratan Tata, Sachin Tendulkar, etc. Some internationally renowned personalities like Charlie Chaplin, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Lady Gaga are also left-handers. 

International Left-handers Day 2022: History and Significance

International Lefthanders Day was first celebrated by Dean R Campbell in 1976 to highlight the everyday struggle left-handers face. He was the founder of Left-Handers International and since then the day is observed annually.  The day observes left-handed people’s uniqueness and differences, a subset of humanity comprising seven to ten percent of the world's population. The day also spreads awareness on issues faced by left-handers, e.g. the importance of the special needs for left-handed children, and the likelihood for left-handers to develop schizophrenia (a disorder that affects a person's ability to think, feel and behave clearly).

Interesting facts about Left-handers

• Almost 10-12 percent of the population consists of left-handers.
• A study published in the academic book "Cerebral Dominance: The Biological Foundations" revealed that left-handed people had an 11-fold higher risk of allergies than right-handed people.
• According to a 2007 study - "Effect of Handedness on Intelligence Level of Students," lefties are more likely to have higher IQs than righties.
•  23% more men are left-handed than women, according to the 2008 study "Sex differences in left-handedness: a meta-analysis of 144 studies."
• The Illinois Research Consortium's 2008 data revealed that left- and right-handed people approach task and memory performance in different ways, concluding that left-handers are more likely to be better at multitasking.
• Tennis players, swimmers, and boxers are all sports in which lefties excel particularly well (almost 40% of the top tennis players at the moment are lefties).

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