Famous Lefties

Left-handed people don’t really run in my family, so I’ve always been kind of fascinated by them.

When I see someone writing left-handed or throwing a ball left-handed – like Broncos quarterback sensation Tim Tebow – it catches my eye.

And no, this is not a right-handed swipe at Mr. Tebow, despite the recent Broncos debacle against the Lions. He’s a potentially great NFL player who could certainly use a much stronger team around him.

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I recently became aware that three of our last four presidents have been left-handed, including current White House occupant Barack Obama.

This is also interesting: Obama ran against John McCain, another lefty, although you wouldn’t want to call him that to his face.

George Bush Jr., barely elected in 2000, defeated Al Gore, a lefty.

In 1992, Bill Clinton was in a three-way race against sitting President George Bush Sr. and Ross Perot – all THREE lefties.

Ronald Reagan, according to some historians, was born left-handed but forced to switch to his right hand by his elementary school teachers – a common practice of the time.

If you counted Reagan’s natural inclination to “be” left-handed, that would mean four of the last five presidents of the United States were left-handed.

Which is pretty amazing when you consider that lefties are estimated to only make up about 10-15 percent of the population.

So why is this?

Some speculate that lefties must try harder to compete in a right-handed world and therefore tend to overcompensate.

Society has tended to frown on left-handedness, and some religions even associate evil with the hand. Not all that encouraging to little lefties.

But even with all of the obstacles they face, there’s an amazing cadre of left-handers who have graced our human history.

Take, for example, Alexander the Great, Greek conqueror of most of the known ancient world. Other famous lefty conquerors include Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte and Charlemagne.

Let’s talk famous artists. Did you know that Leonardo da Vinci – perhaps the world’s greatest artist and all-around genius – was left-handed? Same with Pablo Picasso and Michelangelo.

Let’s talk scientists. I suppose you’ve heard of Sir Isaac Newton, who discovered gravity. And how about Albert Einstein and Marie Curie? Lefties.

Let’s talk sports. Tennis stars John McEnroe, Jimmy Conners and Martina Navratilova; baseball greats Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb and Whitey Ford.

And actors that include Marilyn Monroe, Robert DeNiro, Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie.

And then there’s famous musicians and composers. The lefties here include Mozart and Beethoven from the classical era and Paul McCartney and Jimi Hendrix from the modern era.

The four-man Beatles group actually had two lefties: McCartney and drummer Ringo Starr.

And here’s some more notable lefties: Lewis Carroll, H.G. Wells, Leo Tolstoy, Mark Twain, Bill Gates, Henry Ford, David Rockefeller.

Yes, a very impressive list indeed.

It is incredible to have so many greats coming from a distinct minority of the population.

It may help to get someone’s attention if you’re left-handed. But after that, it’s all in the talent and will to succeed.

And lefties have shown they have it well in hand.