It’s Sunglasses Day! Sunglasses are quite possibly the most important fashion accessory of the entire summer season. Humans have been wearing protective eyewear for centuries, but the stylish designs we’re accustomed to today are a much more recent invention.

During the prehistoric era, the Inuit people used walrus ivory to create sun goggles, which blocked out the powerful rays of sun that reflected off the snow and ice. By the 1700s, doctors were regularly prescribing tinted glasses for vision correction, and by the 1930s the Foster Grant company was selling modern-day sunglasses on the boardwalk of Atlantic City, New Jersey. On the eve of World War II, a little company called Ray Ban began producing anti-glare sunglasses for pilots. “Aviators” became the first commercially successful sunglasses.

To celebrate Sunglasses Day, pick up a new pair of shades at your local sunglasses store!