The English word pencil came via Old French but is based on the Latin word penicillus, which means “little tail.”

The predecessors to pencils were silverpoint and leadpoint pens.

Pencils were never made with lead. Since their introduction in the 16th century, they have always been made with graphite.

Germany was the first country to mass-produce pencils, beginning in the 17th century.

The modern pencil, as we know it, was invented in 18th-century France by Nicolas-Jacques Conté.

A typical pencil can write about 45,000 words or draw a simple line 35 miles long.

Unlike most pens, pencils can write in zero gravity, underwater, and under extreme temperatures.

The No. 2 pencil became a common standard in U.S. schools because it worked best with machines that scanned bubble tests for grading.

The first pencil eraser wasn’t invented until 1858, but bread was commonly used as an unofficial eraser for a long time.

Mechanical pencils were invented in the 19th century.

The classic yellow pencil color originated as a way to associate the product with quality and luxury. High-end pencils were often made with graphite from China, where yellow is the color of royalty.

About 14 billion pencils are manufactured every year.

Most pencils are hexagonal to prevent them from rolling away.

Colored pencils typically use pigment and wax instead of graphite.

Pencil shavings can make excellent tinder for starting a fire in survival or camping situations.

There is a pencil museum in Keswick, England, near the site of the original graphite mine that started it all.