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Happy International Left Handers Day!

By Glen Levy
Did you know that August 13th is International Left-Handers Day? Chances are that President Barack Obama, to say nothing of quite a few of his predecessors, knows it. Why? Because he — like five of the last seven presidents — is a lefty. (And we’re not talking about politically.)

Obama, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford are or were left-handed — quite the statistical anomaly, considering that only about 1 in 10 people worldwide prefer using their left hands.

Naturally there is a website to teach you everything you needed to know about Left-Handers Day. It turns out that 1 in 4 Apollo astronauts were left-handed, as were 4 of the 5 original designers of the Macintosh computer. When it comes to twins, one of them has a high chance of being left-handed, and lefties are believed to be especially good at the likes of tennis, baseball, swimming and fencing.
Other famous lefties include Prince William, Marilyn Monroe, Leonardo da Vinci, Jimi Hendrix, Martina Navratilova and Nicole Kidman.

There’s also a more serious side to the day, which spreads awareness about the special needs of left-handed kids. Also, lefties are far more likely to develop schizophrenia than right-handers, for reasons not well understood.

About 10 percent of people write with their left hand – a trait tenuously tied to intelligence and creativity, not to mention inky pinkies. And some experts say this small but steady legion sheds light on the brain.

"There are many things common across all minds and bodies, but there are sometimes striking differences," said Daniel Casasanto, assistant professor of psychology at the New School for Social Research in New York. "These differences can be key to discovering how something works."

The left hand is guided by the right side of the brain – the hemispheric home of orientation and intuition – leading researchers to suspect lefties may be wired differently than their right-handed counterparts.

Despite their minority status, lefties are more likely to excel in music, mathematics and athletics, according to studies. But left-handedness has also been linked to a higher risk of developmental disorders and mental illness.

"Handedness influences the way people think and feel, and how thoughts and feelings are organized in their brains," said Casasanto, who studies emotional processing in left-handers. "It turns out to matter in a number of ways."

But despite decades of research, the biological origins of handedness remain a mystery. It runs in families, suggesting some genetic influence, and can even be seen in the uterus: fetuses suck the right thumb more often than the left. 

Some studies suggest stress in the womb might be to blame, as lefties are more likely to be born premature or have a low birth weight.

But forced to adapt to a right-hander's world, lefties are resilient. Once considered gauche – even sinister from the Latin for "on the left" – they tolerate teasing and, in some cases, attempts to rewire their handedness.

"Everyone assumed I should be able to switch and use my right hand," said Jane Angelich, a 60-year-old lefty from San Francisco. "It's tough when you're a kid and you're different from everyone else. But you grow out of it. Now I love being a lefty."

Today is international Left-Handers Day.
Glen Levy & Katie Moisse contributed to this report

Left-Handed U.S. Presidents
    James A. Garfield  (1831-1881) 20th
    Herbert Hoover  (1874-1964) 31st
    Harry S. Truman  (1884-1972) 33rd
    Gerald Ford  (1913-    ) 38th
    Ronald Reagan  (1911 -    ) 40th
    George H.W. Bush  (1924-    ) 41st
    Bill Clinton  (1946-    ) 42nd
    Barack Obama  (1961-    ) 44th

     
Left-Handed U.S. Politicos
    Senator Bill Bradley, Rhodes scholar, basketball star
    McGeorge Bundy, presidential advisor
    Benjamin Franklin, statesman/publisher/scientist
    Steve Forbes, businessman/publisher
    Jean-Marc Froidevaux ?, Swiss politician
    Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Supreme Court Justice
    Senator Daniel Inouye
    Anthony Kennedy, Supreme Court Justice
    Alan Keyes, US Senator, US Ambasador
    Brigadier Gen. Lee Hsien Loon, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
    John McCain, US SenatorB
    Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of Defense
    Col. Oliver North, White House aid
    H. Ross Perot, businessman
    William Perry, Secretary of Defense
    Nelson Rockefeller, Vice President
    Senator Hugh Scott
    Robert Wagner, New York mayor
    Henry Wallace, Vice President
    [Senator Bob Dole - switched to left due to injury] 
   
Miscellaneous Left-Handers
    Joan of Arc (?), French heroine
    Lloque Yapanqui (?), Inca monarch
    Ramses II (?), Egyptian pharaoh
    Tiberius (?), Roman emperor
    Alexander the Great
    Charlemagne, Holy Roman emperor
    Julius Caesar, Roman general
    Napoléon Bonaparte (?), French emperor
    Josephine de Beauharnais
    King Louis XVI of France
    Queen Victoria of England
    King George II of England
    King George VI of England
    Prince Charles of England
    Prince William of England
    Fidel Castro, Cuban leader
    Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime-minister
    Ehud Olmert, Israeli prime-minister
    Nicole d'Oresme, mathematician
    Henry Ford, automobile manufacturer
    David Rockefeller, banker
    Dwight F. Davis, founder of the Davis Cup
    Helen Keller, advocate for the blind
    Dr. Albert Schweitzer, physician/missionary
    August Piccard, inventor of stratosphere, 

Bathosphere
    Edwin Buzz Aldrin, astronaut
    Wally Schirra, astronaut
    Dr. Mark Silver, surgeon
    Paul Prudhomme, chef
    Cecil Beaton, photographer/costume designer
    Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts (ambidexterous)
    Dave Barry, journalist
    David Broder, journalist
    Edward R. Murrow, correspondent
    Ted Koppel, journalist
    Forrest Sawyer, journalist
    Ray Suarez, journalist
    John F. Kennedy, Jr., lawyer/publisher
    Caroline Kennedy, lawyer/author
    Ron Reagan, son of Ronald Reagan
    Vin Scully, sports broadcaster
    David Letterman (?), host
    Jay Leno, host
    Lenny Bruce, comedian
    Allen Ludden, host
    Joel Hodgson, host of Mystery Science Theater 
    Wink Martindale, game show host
    Uri Geller, psychokinetic performer
    Richard Simmons, exercise guru
    Euell Gibbons, naturalist
    Marie Dionne, one of the Dionne quintuplets
    General H. Norman Schwarzkopf
    Clarence Darrow, lawyer
    F. Lee Bailey, lawyer
    Melvin Belli, lawyer
    Marcia Clark, lawyer
    Alan Funt, television producer
    Milt Caniff, cartoonist
    Bill Mauldin, cartoonist
    Cathy Guisevite, cartoonist
    Matt Groening, cartoonist
    Jean Plantureux (Plantu), political cartoonist
    Pat Oliphand, political cartoonist Ronald Searle, cartoonist
    Pat Robertson, evangelist/politician
    N.B. Forrest, Confederate general
    John Dillinger, criminal/bank robber
    Boston Strangler (Albert Henry DeSalvo), serial killer
    Jack-the-Ripper, serial killer
    John Wesley Hardin, Western gunslinger
    Bart Simpson, cartoon character
    [King Edward III of England, due to stroke] 
   
Left-Handed Authors
    James Baldwin, novelist
    Bet Bowen, horror novelist
    Peter Benchley, novelist
    Lewis Carroll
    Richard Condon, novelist
    Jean Genet
    Marshall McLuhan
    Diane Paul
    Helen Hooven Santmyer, novelist
    Viktoria Stefanov
    Samuel C. Warner (?), poet
    H.G. Wells
    Jessamyn West
    Eudora Welty, see One Writer's Beginnings (1983:27)
    [Thomas Carlyle - switched to left due to injury]
    
Left-Handed Musicians
    Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, composer
    David Byrne (Talking Heads)
    Glen Campbell
    Vicki Carr
    Natale Cole
    Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)
    Phil Collins (Genesis)
    Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins)
    Dick Dale (guitarist)
    Don Everly (The Everly Brothers)
    Phil Everly (The Everly Brothers)
    Bela Fleck, jazz musician
    Glenn Frey (the Eagles)
    Eric Gale, guitarist
    Noel Gallagher (Oasis) (?)
    Errol Garner, jazz pianist
    Judy Garland
    Crysal Gayle
    Kevin Griffin, guitarist & lead singer (Better than Ezra)
    Thomas Hedley, vocalist/musician
    Jimi Hendrix
    Isaac Hayes
    Tony Iommi, guitarist (Black Sabbath)
    Albert King, guitarist
    Melissa Manchester
    Chuck Mangione, trumpet
    Martina McBride ?, country music singer
    Paul McCartney (the Beatles; Wings)
    Christie Marie Melonson (opera)
    George Michael (Wham!)
    Peter Nero, conductor
    Joe Perry ? (Aerosmith)
    Robert Plant (Led Zepplin)
    Cole Porter, song-writer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff ?, composer
    Maurice Ravel ?, composer
    Lou Rawls
    John Lydon a.k.a. Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols / Public Image Ltd.)
    Rich Szabo, trumpeter
    Seal
    Ringo Starr (?) (the Beatles)
    Paul Simon (Simon & Garfunkel)
    Tiny Tim
    Rudy Valee
    Lenny White, drummer
    Paul Williams, song-writer
    
Left-Handed Artists
    Albrecht Dürer
    M.C. Escher
    Hans Holbein
    Paul Klee
    Michelangelo
    LeRoy Neiman
    Raphael
    Leonardo da Vinci (RH paralyzed?)

Left-Handed Actors
    Don Adams
    Dan Aykroyd
    Eddie Albert
    Tim Allen
    June Allyson
    Harry Anderson
    Amitabh Bachchan, Indian actor
    Herschel Bernardi
    Robert Blake
    Matthew Broderick
    Bruce Boxleitner
    Carol Burnett
    George Burns, comedian
    Ruth Buzzi, comedienne
    Keith Carradine
    Khaled Chahrour, Egyptian actor
    Charlie Chaplin
    George Gobel, comedian
    Chuck Conners
    Hans Conreid
    James Cromwell
    Tom Cruise
    Quinn Cummings
    Daniel Davis
    Bruce Davison
    Matt Dillon
    Marty Engles, comedian
    Olivia de Havilland
    Robert DeNiro
    Michael Dorn
    Fran Drescher, comedian
    Richard Dreyfuss
    W.C. Fields
    Larry Fine ? (of the Three Stooges)
    Peter Fonda
    Greta Garbo
    Terri Garr
    Paul Michael Glaser
    Whoopie Goldberg
    Betty Grable
    Cary Grant
    Peter Graves
    Mark Hamill
    Rex Harrison
    Goldie Hawn
    Joey Heatherton
    Tippi Hedren
    Jim Henson, puppetteer
    Kermit the Frog
    Rock Hudson
    Angelina Jolie

    Shirley Jones ?
    Gabe Kaplan
    Danny Kaye
    Diane Keaton
    George Kennedy
    Nicole Kidman
    Lisa Kudrow
    Michael Landon
    Hope Lange
    Joey Lawrence
    Peter Lawford
    Cloris Leachman
    Hal Linden
    Cleavon Little
    Shirley MacLaine
    Andrew McCarthy
    Kristy McNichol
    Steve McQueen
    Howie Mandel, comedian
    Marcel Marceau, mime
    Harpo Marx
    Marsha Mason
    Mary Stuart Masterson
    Anne Meara, comedian
    Sasha Mitchell
    Marilyn Monroe
    Robert Morse
    Anthony Newley
    Kim Novak
    Ryan O'Neal
    Sarah Jessica Parker
    Estelle Parsons
    Anthony Perkins
    Ron Perlman
    Luke Perry
    Bronson Pinchot
    Joe Piscopo, comedian
    Robert Preston
    Michael J. Pollard
    Richard Pryor, comedian
    Robert Redford
    Keanu Reeves
    Don Rickles, comedian
    Julia Roberts
    Mickey Rourke
    Eva Marie Saint
    Telly Savalas
    Jean Seberg
    Jerry Seinfeld, comedian
    Christian Slater
    Dick Smothers, comedian
    Brent Spiner
    Slyvester Stallone ?
    Terence Stamp
    Jessica Steen
    Rod Steiger
    Alan Thicke
    Terry Thomas, comedian
    Emma Thompson
    Rip Torn
    Peter Ustinov
    Brenda Vaccaro
    Karen Valentine
    Rudy Vallee
    Dick Van Dyke
    Graham Walker a.k.a. Grumbleweeds, English comedian
    Wil Wheaton
    James Whitmore
    Treat Williams
    Bruce Willis
    William Windom
    Oprah Winfrey
    Mare Winningham
    Joanne Woodward
    Keenan Wynn
    Stephanie Zimbalist

    Left-Handed Athletes

      
OLYMPIC SPORTS
    Francis X. Gorman (diving)
    Greg Louganis (diving)
    Mark Spitz (swimming)
    Bruce Jenner (decathlon)
    Nikita Kohloff (wrestling)
    Dorothy Hamill (skating)
     
GOLF
    Bonny Bryant (golf)
    Bob Charles (golf)
    Russ Cochran (golf)
    Connie Decker (golf)
    NOT Ben Hogan (golf), who is included on many published lists
     
FENCING
    Cécile Argiolas (fencing)
    Laura Flessel-Colovic (fencing)
    Fabrice Gazin (fencing)
    Matthieu Gourdain (fencing)
    Fabrice Jeannet (fencing)
    Giuseppe Mangiarotti (fencing)
    Hugues Obry (fencing)
    Anne-Lise Touya (fencing)
    Adeline Wuilleme (fencing)
     CYCLING
    Thomas Voeckler (French), cyclist
     
HOCKEY
    Tom Barrasso
    Phil Esposito
    Cam Neely
    Terry Sawchuk
    Roman Turek
     
BOWLING
    Bill Allen (bowling)
    Patrick Allen (bowling)
    Earl Anthony (bowling)
    Mike Aulby (bowling)
    Steve Cook (bowling)
    Patty Costello (bowling)
    Dave Davis (bowling)
    Cara Honeychurch (bowling)
    Tish Johnson (bowling)
    Johnny Petraglia (bowling)
    Andy Varipapa (bowling)
     
BILLARDS
    Steve Mizerak, Jr. (billiards)
    Kun-Fang Lee (billiards)
    Bonnie Arnold (billiards)
    Reynaldo Grandee (billiards)
     
BOXERS
    Carmen Basilio (boxing)
    James "Gentleman Jim" Corbett (boxing)
    Marvin Hagler (boxing)
    Oscar de la Hoya (boxing)
    Reggie Johnson (boxing)
    Rafael "Bazooka" Limon (boxing)
    Freddie Miller (boxing)
    Jacker Patterson (boxing)
    Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker (boxing)
     
DRIVERS
    Johnny Herbert (Formula 1 driver)
    Terry Labonte (NASCAR race car driver)
    Ayrton Senna (Formula 1 driver)
    Karl Wendlinger (Formula 1 driver)
    Valentino Rossi (motorcycle racer)
     
AMERICAN FOOTBALL
    Frankie Albert (Am.football)
    Terry Baker (Am.football)
    Mark Brunell (quarterback)
    Bobby Douglass (Am.football)
    Norman "Boomer" Esiason (Am.football)
    Jim Del Gaizon (Am.football)
    David Humm (Am.football)
    Paul McDonald (Am.football)
    Scott Mitchell (Am.football)
    Gayle Sayers (Am.football)
    Allie Sherman (Am.football, coach)
    Kenny Stabler (Am.football)
    Steve Young (Am.football)
    Jim Zorn (Am.football)
     
BASKETBALL
    Nate Archibald (basketball)
    Walter Berry (basketball)
    Larry Bird (basketball)
    Adrian Branch (basketball)
    Calbert Cheaney (basketball)
    Dave Cowens (basketball)
    Adrian Dantley (basketball)
    Charles "Lefty" Driesell (basketball)
    Digger Phelps (basketball)
    Bill Russell (basketball)
    Bill Walton (basketball)
   
     
TENNIS
    Kenneth Carlsen (tennis)
    Jimmy Connors (tennis)
    Andres Gomez (Santos) (tennis)
    John McEnroe (tennis)
    Martina Navratilova (tennis) - ambidexterous
   
     
BASEBALL
    Whitey Ford (pitcher)
    Paul Gibson (pitcher)
    Lefty Grove (pitcher)
    Ron Guidry (pitcher)
    Al Habrosky (pitcher)
    Steve Howe (pitcher)
    Tommy John (pitcher)
    Barry Bonds (baseball)
    Wade Boggs ? (baseball)
    Lou Brock (baseball)
    Ty Cobb (baseball)
    Lefty Gomez (baseball)
    Ken Griffey, Jr. (baseball)
    Reggie Jackson (baseball)
    Don Mattingly (baseball)
    Babe Ruth (baseball)
    "Neon" Deion Sanders (baseball/Am.football)
    Darryl Strawberry (baseball)
    Ted Williams (baseball)
    Fernando Valenzuela (baseball)
    Tommy Lasorda (baseball manager)

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