“In 1930, a Hungarian inventor observed children playing with marbles in a puddle and noticed that the marbles left a trail of water in their wake. The idea struck him: why not use a ball-shaped metal tip to write? And so the pen was born. László József Biro shared his idea with his brother György, a chemist, and together they began researching and experimenting to create a new type of pen based on this concept. They finally found the perfect combination: a viscous ink and a tip with a ball that rotated freely, preventing the ink from drying out and controlling its flow. They presented their invention at the Budapest International Fair in 1931 and patented it in 1938, although they were unable to commercialize it immediately. When World War II broke out, the brothers emigrated to Argentina, where they founded a company in a garage. Although they were initially unsuccessful due to the high cost of the product, they were awarded a contract by the British Air Force, which increased its popularity. In 1943, his invention was leased to Eversharp Faber in the United States for US$2 million. In 1950, Marcel Bich acquired the rights and, on the recommendation of an advertising executive, dropped the "h" from his surname and founded the company BICGroup. That year they launched the first Crystal BIC, one of the most perfect designs ever created, of which more than 20 million units are sold every day around the world.
Since 1953, more than 100 billion Crystal BICs have been manufactured, making it the best-selling pen of all time.”