Stop! Put that eraser away. Don’t erase today from your monthly calendar. Make no mistake. National Rubber Eraser Day, an April 15 holiday, celebrates the invention of erasers. We all make mistakes. This day is designated to recognize and appreciate the value of that little plug (as manufacturers call them), that sits atop our pencils. When we make a mistake, they are the big “cover-up”, make that eraser, of our booboo or faux pax. Just imagine how messy our documents would be without them!
Why not just call it “Eraser Day”? There are two reasons. The first erasers were made of rubber. Today, they are made of rubber or vinyl. Secondly, in Great Britain, they are formally called “rubbers”.
In the world of erasers, two men are prominent. Joseph Priestley discovered the eraser in 1770, using pieces of rubber imported from Brazil. Then in 1858, Hyman Lipman of Philadelphia, Pa., patented the pencil with an eraser at the end.
There are a number of types of erasers, including:
·
One
that comes already attached to your pencil by a metal band.
·
An
eraser you can add on top of your pencil.
·
A
block, commonly called Pink Pearl or Pink Pet.
·
In
pencil form. Instead of lead, there is an eraser inside. As your use it, you
peel away the outside.
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