Ever wondered who created some of the most important objects that we use in our daily life, in schools, universities and at work: a mechanical pencil and a pen?
Well, the inventor of these objects is Slavoljub Penkala, Croatian. In fact it is thanks to his surname that pen in Croatian, is called Penkala. It was in 1906 that Slavoljub Penkala created the first mechanical pencil, and he still had a lot more to contribute to the world. After the mechanical pencil he invented the fountain pen, and later he was also responsible for building the first Croatian airplane, in 1910, the Penkala Monoplane. Penkala patented more than 80 objects in the fields of mechanics, chemistry, physics and aeronautics.
Unfortunately many of his patents have been stolen or disappeared, but the glory of the mechanical pen still stands as his most important invention. With it students have written exams, workers made notes and lovers had written love letters.
There are many things that today are fundamental in our day to day and that were invented by Croats. You can check more of them on the video.