More history and information on: pencils, pens, erasers, pencils, pencil sharpeners, ballpoint pens, and more. No man was more foolish when he had not a pen in his hand, or more wise when he had - Samuel Johnson.A Hungarian journalist named Laszlo Biro invented the first ballpoint pen in 1938.Biro had noticed that the type of ink used in newspaper printing dried quickly, leaving the paper dry and smudge-free.ore history and information on: pencils, pens, erasers, pencils, pencil sharpeners, ballpoint pens, and more. No man was more foolish when he had not a pen in his hand, or more wise when he had - Samuel Johnson.