Quiz of the Day
Left-Handers Day
Thursday, 13 August 2026
August 13 celebrates the world's left-handed minority — explore the neuroscience, evolutionary puzzle, and famous lefties of history
1. Approximately what percentage of the global population is left-handed?
- 20%
- 15%
- 10%
- 5%
About 10% of people are left-handed — a ratio that has remained remarkably consistent across cultures and throughout human history. This stability suggests left-handedness may confer some evolutionary advantage, likely in combat (left-handers have the element of surprise against right-handed opponents). The advantage is seen today in sports like boxing and fencing, where left-handers are overrepresented at elite levels.
2. Which gene is believed to influence left-handedness?
- PCSK9
- FOXP2
- BRCA1
- LRRTM1
The LRRTM1 gene on chromosome 2 was identified in 2007 as influencing left-handedness. However, handedness is polygenic — influenced by many genes — and environment also plays a role. Interestingly, identical twins show different handedness about 18% of the time, proving that genes alone don't determine it. Prenatal hormone exposure and random developmental variation also contribute.
3. Left-handedness is associated with which hemisphere of the brain being dominant?
- Both equally
- Right hemisphere
- Neither — it varies completely individually
- Left hemisphere
In right-handed people, the left brain hemisphere controls language and is dominant. In left-handers, the picture is more complex — about 70% still have left-hemisphere language dominance (the same as right-handers), while 15% have right-hemisphere language dominance and 15% have mixed dominance. Left-handers tend to have more bilateral brain organization, which may contribute to greater creativity in some individuals.
4. Which US president was NOT left-handed?
- George H.W. Bush
- Barack Obama
- Bill Clinton
- Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan was naturally left-handed but was forced to switch to right-handedness as a child — a common practice until the mid-20th century. Five of the seven US presidents who served between 1974 and 2008 were left-handed: Ford, Reagan (who switched), Bush Sr., Clinton, and Obama. Left-handers appear significantly overrepresented in modern US presidential politics.
5. The word 'sinister' comes from the Latin word for what direction?
- Backward
- Left
- Down
- Right
'Sinister' derives from the Latin 'sinister' meaning 'left.' In contrast, 'dexter' (Latin for 'right') gives us 'dexterous.' Many languages and cultures historically associated left-handedness with bad omens, evil, or weakness — the Arabic word 'yisar' (left) is related to 'difficulty,' and the French word 'gauche' means both 'left' and 'clumsy.' This bias shaped centuries of forced right-handedness.
6. Which famous artist, scientist, and engineer was left-handed and famously wrote his notes in mirror script?
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Galileo Galilei
- Isaac Newton
- Michelangelo
Leonardo da Vinci wrote his famous notebooks in right-to-left mirror script — a style perfectly natural for a left-hander writing with quill ink (to avoid smearing). He could reportedly also write with both hands simultaneously. His notebooks, filled with inventions, anatomical drawings, and scientific observations, were largely undeciphered for centuries because most people couldn't read the mirror writing.
7. Are left-handers more likely to have which characteristic compared to right-handers?
- Longer lifespan
- More bilateral brain organization
- Higher IQ on average
- Greater susceptibility to allergies
Left-handers typically show more bilateral brain organization — using both hemispheres more equally for tasks like language. This is associated with better integrative thinking and may contribute to the apparent overrepresentation of left-handers in creative and artistic fields. However, this also makes left-handers more susceptible to certain brain disorders like dyslexia and stuttering.
8. In which sport is being left-handed considered the greatest competitive advantage?
- Fencing
- Golf
- Tennis
- Cricket (batting)
Fencing shows the clearest statistical advantage for left-handers — they are massively overrepresented at world championship level. The advantage comes from a 'frequency effect': right-handers rarely practice against left-handed opponents, so they're unprepared for the mirror-image attack angles. This frequency advantage applies in baseball, boxing, and cricket too, where lefties punch well above their 10% population share.
9. What is Left-Handers Day's founding organization called?
- The Left-Handed Association
- Anything Left-Handed
- The Left-Hand Club
- The Southpaw Society
International Left-Handers Day was founded by Dean R. Campbell in 1976. The day is now promoted by the organization 'Anything Left-Handed,' a UK-based retailer that sells left-handed products. In a right-handed world, specialized tools matter: standard spiral notebooks dig into the left wrist, scissors are designed for right hands, and even standard desks favor right-handers.
10. Which famous tennis player, known as 'Rafa,' is left-handed?
- Novak Djokovic
- Andy Murray
- Roger Federer
- Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal is actually naturally right-handed but was coached to play tennis left-handed as a child by his uncle and coach Toni Nadal, who believed it would give him a competitive advantage. The strategy worked brilliantly — his left-handed topspin forehand is particularly devastating on clay courts, generating extreme angles that right-handed opponents struggle to return.
11. What percentage of people are ambidextrous (equally skilled with both hands)?
- About 10%
- Less than 1%
- About 5%
- About 15%
Fewer than 1% of people are truly ambidextrous — equally skilled with both hands from birth. However, many people who label themselves ambidextrous are actually 'mixed-handed' (preferring one hand for some tasks and the other for others). True ambidexterity actually shows a mild association with attention and language difficulties, as strong lateral preference may be neurologically beneficial.
12. The term 'southpaw' for a left-handed person is believed to have originated in which sport?
- Baseball
- Tennis
- Boxing
- Cricket
The term 'southpaw' likely originated in 19th-century baseball. Many ballparks were laid out with home plate to the west so that afternoon sun wouldn't blind batters — meaning pitchers threw from the east. A left-handed pitcher's throwing arm (south) would be on the left (south) side, making them a 'southpaw.' The term spread to boxing where left-handed fighters adopt a mirrored stance.
13. Which ancient tools found in archaeological sites provide evidence that handedness existed in early humans?
- Flint tools showing flaking direction patterns
- Animal bones with cut marks
- Fossilized footprints showing gait
- Cave paintings showing hand preferences
Paleoanthropologists can determine handedness from ancient stone tools by examining the direction of flaking — right-handed knappers leave different patterns than left-handed ones. Evidence from 500,000-year-old tools shows roughly the same 9:1 right-to-left ratio seen today, suggesting human handedness lateralization is ancient and deeply embedded in our evolutionary history.
14. Which historical figurehead was a famous left-hander who led their nation despite societal stigma against left-handedness?
- Julius Caesar
- Winston Churchill
- Alexander the Great
- Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte was likely left-handed, though historical accounts are mixed. More definitively, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, and Queen Victoria were all left-handed. In medieval Europe, left-handedness was so stigmatized that Catholic schools forced left-handed children to write with their right hands, believing left-handedness was the mark of the devil.
15. What everyday item is specifically designed in both left-handed and right-handed versions by some manufacturers?
- Scissors
- Keyboards
- Coffee mugs
- Dinner plates
Standard scissors place the blades so that when used by right-handers, the cutting force pushes the blades together for a clean cut. When left-handers use them, the force pulls the blades apart, making the scissors effectively useless. Left-handed scissors are mirror-imaged to correct this. Other tools made left-hand specific include can openers, corkscrews, and some computer mice.