National Sunglasses Day

History of National Sunglasses Day

While many people might believe that sunglasses are a fairly modern invention, that would actually be incorrect.

In fact, the history of sunglasses may stretch as far back as 14th century China, where the story goes that judges of the time would use eyewear made of smoke-colored quartz to mask their emotions when listening to cases.

Fast-forward 600 years and modern sunglasses as they are known today began to develop. In the late 19th century, doctors began experimenting with amber or brown tinted lenses on glasses, specifically for people who had syphilis, a symptom of which is sensitivity to light.

It wasn’t until 1929 when mass produced sunglasses were first marketed by entrepreneur Sam Foster on the beaches by the Atlantic City Boardwalk, that they began to be affordable and average people started to use them.

From then, the concept of sunglasses becoming a “cool” style was confirmed and this fashion accessory has just continued to grow in popularity.

From driving vehicles on land to piloting airplanes, sunglasses also allow the operators to not only look cool, but also to be able to have much clearer vision regarding where they are going, acting as a safety precaution for better performance and steering.

National Sunglasses Day got its start as early as 2009 when it was organized by The Vision Council, which is a nonprofit trade association for those in the optical industry. This organization suggested establishing the day to remind people to take good care of the health of their eyes.

And because the longest days of the year happen toward the end of the month of June, it only makes sense that National Sunglasses Day would be scheduled at a time when the eyes are at most risk of damage from the long hours of sunlight.

Facts About National Sunglasses Day

Ancient Arctic “Snow Goggles” Acted Like Early Sunglasses  

Indigenous peoples of the Arctic, including Inuit communities, carved goggles from bone, ivory, wood, or leather with narrow horizontal slits to cut down intense glare from sunlit snow and ice.

These devices, used for at least around 2,000 years, limited the amount of light entering the eye and helped prevent snow blindness long before lenses or glass-based sunglasses existed.  

Chinese Smoky Quartz Lenses Were Among the First Tinted Eyewear  

By about the 12th century, people in China were using flat pieces of smoky quartz as eye coverings, creating some of the earliest known tinted “lenses.”

These did not correct vision but dimmed bright light and glare, and later accounts suggest that judges sometimes wore them to conceal their expressions during court proceedings, blending social signaling with rudimentary light control.  

Roman Elites May Have Used Gemstones to Cut Stadium Glare  

A long‑repeated historical tradition holds that the Roman emperor Nero watched gladiatorial games while looking through polished green gemstones, often described as emeralds, to soften the sun’s harsh glare in the arena.

Even if partly legendary, the story highlights how wealthy Romans experimented with colored stones as simple filters for brightness centuries before modern optics and UV science.  

Early Tinted Spectacles Were Designed for Vision Problems, Not Sun  

In the mid‑18th century, English optician James Ayscough began fitting eyeglasses with blue or green-tinted lenses because he believed certain tints could improve poor eyesight.

These glasses are an important step in the history of tinted eyewear, but they were aimed at correcting vision and easing eye strain rather than deliberately protecting eyes from sunlight or ultraviolet radiation.  

Modern UV Science Turned Sunglasses into Medical Devices  

Ophthalmology research has firmly linked ultraviolet radiation to eye problems such as photokeratitis (corneal “sunburn”), pterygium, cataracts, and cancers of the eyelid.

As a result, professional bodies like the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommend lenses that block 99–100% of both UVA and UVB, and standards such as ISO 12312 and the Eye‑Sun Protection Factor (E‑SPF) now quantify how effectively lenses shield eyes from harmful UV.  

Polarized Lenses Target Glare, Not Ultraviolet Rays  

Polarized sunglasses use a special filter to block horizontally polarized light, which is the predominant form of glare reflected from flat surfaces like water, snow, and pavement.

This dramatically improves comfort and visual clarity for activities such as driving or fishing, but it does not automatically mean better UV protection; high-quality sunglasses must pair polarization with UV‑absorbing materials or coatings to guard against radiation as well as glare.

Hollywood Helped Turn Protective Eyewear into a Symbol of “Cool”  

By the mid‑20th century, film stars routinely wore dark glasses both on set and in public to shield their eyes from studio lamps and camera flashes.

Fashion writers note that this practical choice quickly morphed into a cinematic shorthand for glamour, mystery, and toughness, and audiences began copying on‑screen looks, cementing sunglasses as essential style items rather than purely functional eye protection.