Left-handedness is the less common of the two dominant hand preferences, with about 10% of the world’s population being left-handed. However, there have been many famous left-handed people throughout history, in all walks of life. Here are 10 of the most famous left-handed people in the world:
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics (alongside quantum mechanics)
Bill Gates is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of Microsoft, the world’s largest software company. According to The Economic Times, Microsoft founder Bill Gates has suggested that left-handers exhibit a slightly greater range of talent, both high and low, which has yet to be fully understood. This theory gains support from the fact that other creative and groundbreaking entrepreneurs like Amar Bose (founder of Bose), Mark Zuckerberg (co-founder of Facebook), and even Apple co-founder Steve Jobs were also left-handed.
Barack Obama : On January 20, 2009, when Barack Obama signed his initial executive order as the president, he playfully remarked, “That’s correct, I’m a left-hander, better get accustomed to it.” Yet, the presence of left-handed individuals in the Oval Office is not an uncommon occurrence. Past U.S. presidents such as James Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush also possessed the trait of being left-handed.
Prince William: Besides Prince William, the British royal family has a notable number of individuals who are left-handed. Queen Victoria, King George VI, the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III, and Prince George can all be identified as left-handed individuals, both presently and in the past.
Leonardo da Vinci, widely recognized as one of the most renowned artists in history, stood out as a left-handed individual. As stated by the Museum of Science, da Vinci’s exceptional skill in mirror writing enabled him to create coded texts where the words appeared in reverse order. This unique method might have been adopted by da Vinci due to the challenges faced as a left-handed person, as writing traditionally from left to right with ink would result in quite a messy outcome.
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, and model. She is considered to be one of the most iconic sex symbols of the 20th century.
Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, stage designer, poet and playwright who spent most of his adult life in France.
Neil Armstrong, along with numerous other astronauts of his time, broke historical grounds as the first person to set foot on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Interestingly, Armstrong, like many of his colleagues, happened to be left-handed. NASA reports that the prevalence of left-handedness among the Apollo astronauts exceeded the expected percentages by more than double. This fact is especially remarkable considering the conventional notion that test pilots, who formed the majority of these astronauts, usually tend to be right-handed for practical reasons.
Napoleon Bonaparte: Time reports that, Napoleon Bonaparte a left-handed individual, protested against the traditional military tradition of marching on the left side of the road with weapons in the right hand. He believed that this placed left-handed soldiers, like himself, in a disadvantageous position. Consequently, when given the opportunity, he ordered his army to switch sides and march on the right. This decision also extended to ordinary citizens, leading to the establishment of modern road rules. As Time highlights, this is the reason why the British, to this day, continue to drive on the left.
Charlie Chaplin was most famous for his comedic roles in silent films, however, his fans might have noticed that he would occasionally appear on screen playing the violin. What was intriguing was that Chaplin always used his left hand to play the instrument. As a matter of fact, Stan Laurel, a fellow performer, shared that during a U.S. tour in 1912, Chaplin had the strings on his violin reversed, enabling him to play left-handed.
These are just a few of the many famous left-handed people in the world. Left-handedness is often seen as a sign of creativity and intelligence, and many left-handed people have made significant contributions to their respective fields.
