Sunglasses: 10 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know

Wikipedia defines Sunglasses as a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight  and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. Sunglasses can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that are colored, polarized or darkened.

There’s probably a lot that you didn’t know about them, but today my aim is to change that. So, keep on reading before you decide to buy your next pair of sunglasses online.

Here are 10 Interesting Facts About Sunglasses You Might Not Have Known

1. The earliest sunglasses date back around 2,000 years ago when the Inuit people created a type of eyewear from walrus ivory to protect against snow blindness. These shades were more of a cover for the eye with small slits carved into them so as to see but still block out the sun’s glare.

2. After this, eyewear was found in ancient China. However, it was not to assist with vision or style. In the 12th century, Chinese Judges actually used a piece of smoked quartz in hopes to disguise their expressions to the defendants on trial.

3. In the 1700s, an English optician named James Ayscough developed blue and green tinted lenses, but protecting the eyes from the sun wasn’t his aim when developing them. Ayscough thought that he could cure visual impairements with them. However, these tinted glasses were commonly prescribed for people with syphilis in the 1800s. One of the disease’s symptoms is sensitivity to light. These “sunglasses” actually looked similar to John Lennon’s iconic round shades,

4. In December 2019 a pair of John Lennon’s sunglasses actually sold for nearly $200,000 at an auction in London. The sunglasses belonged to Alan Herring, the chauffeur for The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and bandmate George Harrison.

5. Hollywood stars actually put sunglasses on the map. The first mass-produced sunglasses made to protect eyes from the sun’s rays were made by Sam Foster in 1929. These “Foster Grants” became popular with actors and actresses because of the bright lights of movie sets and flashes of cameras.

6.  Edwin H. Land (the founder of the Polaroid Corporation) invented Polaroid filters in 1936. Thanks to this, sunglasses could protect humans against harmful UV rays for the first time.  After this, these glasses became a desirable item for health aid as well as for reasons of fashion and comfort.

6. Ray-Ban designed anti-glare shades in 1936. They use the new polarized lens technology created by Edwin H. Land. In 1937 the general public could purchase Ray-Ban‘s Aviator sunglasses.

7. Elton John has claimed that he owns more than 250,000 pairs of sunglasses. He is known for wearing designer glasses everywhere he goes. There’s even an award-winning play production called ‘Elton John’s Glasses’.

8. Shades not only make or break your look, they actually prevent you from constantly squinting which could cause ‘dynamic wrinkles’. Eventually, it produces permanent creases and lines (even when you’re not squinting).

9. The Matrix holds the record for the most sunglasses featured in a movie. If you look closely you will notice that protagonists wear round or oval-shaped glasses. The antagonists wear rectangular lenses.

10.  In August 2021 an Orangutan wearing shades went viral. A tourist dropped his glasses in a zoo enclosure in Indonesia. See what happened below.

Well, there you have it, 10 interesting facts you did not know about Sunglasses. If I’ve left out something important, feel free to leave a comment below. Also free to share this post with friends on social media. Sharing is caring after all.

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