Detail map of Clichy, Île-de-France, France Overview map of Clichy, Île-de-France, France

A: Clichy, Île-de-France, France

Marcel Bich Produces the Very Inexpensive Bic Pen

1950

After purchasing the patent for the ballpoint pen from Lázló Biró (who had been producing ballpoints in Argentina since 1943), in 1950 Marcel Bich produced the very inexpensive Bic Cristal in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

"A Bic Cristal ballpoint pen contains enough ink to draw a continuous line up to two miles (3.2 km) long. In 2005, Bic sold its hundred billionth ballpoint pen - enough ink to draw a line to Pluto and back more than 20 times."

Timeline Themes