The exact number of left-handers in the world is still unknown. According to some statistics, there are about 5%, according to others - almost 10%. In any case, there are a lot of such people. Left-handedness is inherent in them from birth, and until recently it was the cause of considerable troubles, even troubles. The fact is that the Christian religion considered the left hand to be devilish.
If a person did his daily work, and even more so, was baptized with his left hand, other people, especially those with little education, could see this as an intrigue of evil spirits. And the fate of this poor fellow in the era of the triumph of the Inquisition was unenviable.
Of course, if the left-hander belonged to the circle of rich, influential people, or for some reason enjoyed the protection and patronage of high-ranking persons, such as, for example, the genius Leonardo da Vinci, such a danger did not threaten him. But even such geniuses in everyday life, due to their left-handedness, had to face fears, prejudices, and ridicule.
Ordinary people, even after the departure of the Inquisition, for a long time were forced to hide their innate peculiarity, retraining to do everything with their right hand. You can imagine how uncomfortable it was for them, what problems it caused! A classic example is the protagonist of the famous novel "Quiet Flows the Don" Grigory Melekhov, left-handed from birth, teased by his peers in childhood, and his father literally forced him to wean himself from the devil's hand by brutal beatings.
Even now, when prejudice against left-handers is a thing of the past, the modern world is largely unfair to them. After all, literally all goods, household and writing instruments, office equipment, etc. - everything is made for right-handers! Yes, the overwhelming majority of right-handed people, but this is not a reason to discriminate against hundreds of millions of people on Earth.
Therefore, in order to draw the attention of the general public to the problems of left-handers, the British Left-Handed Club, created in 1990, took the initiative to celebrate Left-Handed Day. For the first time such a day was celebrated on August 13, 1992, and since then it has become a tradition. People arrange all sorts of events, contests, competitions, and attract media attention. They thereby remind governments, manufacturers of goods, and all their fellow citizens that left-handed people are just as full-fledged people, and their needs and problems must be approached with full responsibility.
In support of their importance, left-handers cite numerous examples of famous people who have left a bright mark in history. In addition to the already mentioned Leonardo da Vinci, these are, for example, the great political figures Guy Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Winston Churchill, the famous writer and publicist Mark Twain, the wonderful actress Marilyn Monroe and many others.
