National Sunglasses Day is annually celebrated on June 27 in the United States of America. This occasion is observed to raise awareness about the importance of wearing sunglasses when outdoors. Sunglasses protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. Whenever you put on glares it makes you look stylish. And there is a wide collection of this useful fashionable accessory available to suit different types of face shapes. On the occasion of National Sunglasses Day (US) 2020, we bring you fun facts about sunglasses, which includes Eskimos wearing animal bone glares to the world's most expensive shades. Shades Day 2020: Checking Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Sonam Kapoor's 'Shady' Business That We'd Love to be a Part of (View Pics).

The UV protective eyewear necessarily needs to be worn to keep the eyes healthy all lifelong. Many people step out in the sun without wearing sunglasses, which can harm the retina in the long run. A full day outside without sunglasses can cause immediate, temporary issues, such as swollen or red eyes and hypersensitivity to light. On National Sunglasses Day 2020, gift yourself or your loved one a pair of sunglasses, also motivate others to wear these shades. Now let us take a look at fun facts of sunglasses.

11 Fun Facts of Sunglasses

1. The Eskimos created glares from animal bone, leather and wood that had small slits allowing only a tiny ray of light through. This helped in protecting their eyes from sunlight reflected off the snow.

2. Sunglass trends change every year, but mostly always come back in style. Right from aviators to cat-eye and tiny sunglasses are all selling like hot cakes. However, one should wear that suits their face.

3. Polaroid sunglasses that offer protection from UV rays were invented in 1936. Prior to this, only tinted sunglasses were used that reduce the glare of sunlight exposed to the eye.

4. The most popular green-tinted Ray-Ban aviator was originally invented in the early 1930s to protect pilots from the hazards of high-altitude glare.

5. In the United States, a sunglass is lost or broken in every 14 minutes. Therefore, always keep your favourites pair of shades in the case.

6. Swiss luxury company Chopard created the world's most expensive pair of shades priced at $400,000. The shades of this eyewear are made of 60 g 24K gold and decorated with 51 diamonds.

7. Tom Cruise is responsible for the record-breaking spikes in Ray-Ban sales as he wears them in all his movies.

8. Famous singer Elton John is hardly ever seen without a pair of funky shades, making him the ultimate fashion icon. It is believed he has more than 1,000 pairs of sunglasses.

9. Chinese people in the 12th century used to wear sunglasses to hide their facial expressions in a court of law.

10. Emperor Nero of the Roman Empire used to wear polished emeralds sunglasses to watch Gladiator fights.

11. There has been debate on whether eyebrows should be shown or not while wearing sunglasses, no conclusion has been reached yet.

On National Sunglasses Day (US) 2020, wear your favourite pair of shades, click a selfie and share it on social media with #NationalSunglassesDay. By this, you can play your part in inspiring people to wear sunglasses while stepping outdoors.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 27, 2020 06:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).