Ladislao Biro

Hungarian-Argentine inventor of the modern ballpoint pen, revolutionizing writing technology and accessibility.

László Bíró (1899–1985), anglicized as Ladislao Biro, transformed everyday life with his invention of the ballpoint pen. Frustrated by fountain pens’ smudging and inefficiency, Biro—a journalist—observed that newspaper ink dried quickly. Collaborating with his chemist brother György, he devised a viscous ink and a tiny rotating ball bearing to regulate its flow.

In 1938, Biro patented his design, but World War II forced him to flee to Argentina. There, he refined the pen with investor Juan Meyne, creating Birome (a portmanteau of their surnames). Despite initial skepticism, the British Royal Air Force adopted it for high-altitude use, as it didn’t leak like fountain pens. By 1944, mass production began, democratizing reliable writing tools.

Biro’s invention dismantled class barriers in education and bureaucracy. UNESCO estimates that over 14 billion ballpoint pens are sold annually today. Though Biro sold his patent cheaply, his name became synonymous with the pen in countries like Argentina. The ballpoint’s global impact underscores how a single innovation can reshape human communication.