National Lowercase Day

A person seated in a cozy cafe, wearing a casual outfit, typing on a laptop, surrounded by lowercase letters as decor.. — National lowercase day illustration

Welcome to the wacky world of National lowercase Day! Get ready to celebrate the letter that's always a little lower. So sit back, relax, and get ready to give our lowercase friends the respect they deserve.

When is Lowercase Day?

It's national lowercase day on the 15th October.

The Origin of National lowercase Day

Just like the lowercase letters themselves, the history of National lowercase Day is a bit more understated. While we couldn't find any concrete information about its origins, we can imagine some lowercase enthusiasts finally decided it was time to celebrate those little letters we often take for granted.

Perhaps someone realized that most of our writing consists of lowercase letters and thought, 'Hey, let's give them a day of their own!' And thus, National lowercase Day was born.

Celebrating National lowercase Day

Now that we have a day dedicated to lowercase letters, how should we celebrate? Well, you could start by writing everything in lowercase—emails, texts, social media posts, the works! It's a small way to pay homage to these often overlooked letters.

If you're feeling particularly adventurous, you could even go all lowercase in your spoken language for a day. Just be prepared for a few funny looks and confusion from your loved ones. But hey, that's all part of the lowercase fun.

Did You Know?

Did you know that the lowercase letter 'g' is believed to have originated from the uppercase 'G' when scribes began to write more quickly? The cursive uppercase 'G' was eventually simplified into the lowercase 'g' we know and love today.

History behind the term 'Lowercase'

1740

The introduction of small letters

In 1740, Giovanni Battista Bodoni, an Italian typographer, introduced the concept of using two different sizes of letters in printing. He called the smaller size 'lettere piccole', which translates to 'small letters' in English. These small letters were primarily used for the lowercase letters in the Latin alphabet.

1782

Capital and lowercase letters established

By 1782, the terms 'capital' and 'lowercase' were established by French printers François-Ambroise Didot and Pierre-Simon Fournier. The term 'lowercase' was coined to differentiate the smaller letters from the larger, uppercase letters. It became a standard part of typography terminology, referring to the set of small letters in a given typeface.

1818

The standardization of lowercase letters

In 1818, the American Type Founders Association was formed to standardize typeface design and printing practices. This led to the establishment of specific rules and guidelines for lowercase letters, including their proportions, shapes, and alignment. Lowercase letters became an integral part of typeface design and printing, contributing to the overall readability and aesthetic appeal of printed materials.

1892

The superiority of lowercase letters demonstrated

In 1892, an advertising campaign by the Boston-based American Type Founders Company showcased the superiority of lowercase letters in terms of readability and visual harmony. The campaign highlighted the benefits of using lowercase letters in advertising and emphasized their effectiveness in capturing attention and conveying a sense of friendliness and approachability. This further popularized the use of lowercase letters in various printed materials.

20th century

The digital era and lowercase dominance

With the advent of digital typesetting and word processing in the 20th century, lowercase letters became even more prevalent. Digital fonts and keyboards made it easier to switch between uppercase and lowercase, and the default typing mode shifted towards lowercase. As a result, lowercase letters have become the standard choice for most written communication, including emails, website content, and social media.