Left-handedness

HUMANS

Around 1 in 10 of the world's population is left-handed.

10% of ancient tools uncovered are designed for being left-handed, indicating that in the last 10,000 years the proportion of the population that is left-handed has remained consistent at 10%.

For some strange reason less than 1% of China's population is left-handed.

There are more male left-handers than female.

If both parents of a child are left-handed, there is a 26% chance of that child being left-handed.

Babies who are born premature are usually left-handed.

Mothers over 40 are twice as likely to have left-handed children as women in their 20s.

Left-handedness is extremely common in twins. It is unusual, however, for both to be left-handed.

Left-handed people are right brain dominant which causes them to experience negative emotions like anger and fear more than right-handed people who are left brain dominant.

Throughout history, many people with IQs of over 140 have been left-handed people. Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton and Benjamin Franklin were all lefties.

Forcing left-handed children to write with their right hands is not in any way innocuous or helpful- it is actually harmful to their developing brains and can result in dyslexia, stuttering and other learning or speech disorders.

Most left-handers draw figures facing to the right.

Left-handed people tend to scratch themselves with their right-hand. Vice-versa for righties.

Sports where lefties have a known advantage are boxing, fencing, judo and tennis.

Tennis star Rafael Nadal "became" a left-handed tennis player as a child when his uncle who coached him thought it would help give him an advantage on the court.

Golfer Phil Mickelson is naturally right-handed. He plays golf left-handed since he learned by watching his right-handed father swing, mirroring his style.

Playing for the Boston Celtics against the Portland Trail Blazers on February 14, 1986. Larry Bird scored 20 points with his left (non-dominant) hand in a single game to "save his right for the Lakers."

Since 1930, there have been fewer than 10 left-handed catchers in Major League Baseball.

Simpsons creator Matt Groening is left handed, and that's why there was a whole episode devoted to Ned Flanders and his Leftorium.

Four of the last six US Presidents have been left-handed: Ronald Reagan, George Bush senior, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

OTHER ANIMALS

While around 10% of humans are left-handed, research shows that several animal species (such as cats, mice and rats) have an equal percentage of favoritism towards the right and left paw.

Female cats tend to be right-pawed; tom cats tend to be left-pawed.

Almost all kangaroos are left-handed.

FUN FACTS

International Left-Handers day is observed on August 13. The day was established by American soldier Dean R. Campbell in 1976 to raise awareness about the challenges lefties face and their experiences in this right-hand dominant world.

The Greek for 'left-handed' also means 'better'.

The word "sinister" comes from the ancient Roman word meaning "left."

"Aftercataracts" and "tesseradecades"  are the longest words that are typed with only the left hand.

"Stewardesses" is the longest frequently used word that is typed with only the left hand.

Most Muppets are left-handed because the Muppeteer's right hand is used to operate the head.

A higher than usual number of characters in The Simpsons appear to be left-handed (Bart Simpson, Seymour Skinner, Ned Flanders and others). This is due to the fact that the creator of the show Matt Groening himself is left-handed.

On April 1, 1998, Burger King took out a full-page advert in USA Today introducing a Whopper designed especially for lefties. The new burger would contain the same ingredients as the original, but rotated 180°. Thousands of customers swarmed Burger King restaurants requesting the "lefty" Whopper.

Source Daily Express