June 10 is National Ballpoint Pen Day. Whether you prefer blue, black, or a brighter shade of ink, we would all certainly miss these essential tools if we didn’t have them! Ballpoint pens were invented and patented in 1888, but did not become available in the U.S. until 1945 when they could be purchased for a whopping $12 per pen. Find out more about the history of ballpoint pens here.
Like ballpoint pens, all the great things we use to make our lives easier and more comfortable started as someone’s idea. In fact, some of them were even invented by people who lived in Wyoming!
The Wyoming State Library’s Digital Collections Suite has resources to help you learn about the origin of some of your favorite tools and gizmos, as well as materials to help you learn more about patenting your own great ideas. Check out Wyoming Inventors and Wyoming Trademarks to find out about historic and contemporary innovations generated by Wyomingites and the Wyoming Patent and Trademark Resource Center to learn more about the patent and trademark process. You can also watch a webinar recently presented by our the WSL’s Publications Librarian, Anne Kuipers, “Make Your Mark: Trademarks,” here.