The first computer "mouse"- the “X-Y position indicator for a display system”

the first computer mouse

Douglas Engelbart created the first computer mouse- the block of wood with a single button above. He was working at Stanford Research Institute at that time on a project which was, in essence, the first iteration of the Internet. Engelbart and his lead engineer, Bill English, received a patent in 1970 for their “X-Y position indicator for a display system,” which was nicknamed a “mouse” because the tail coming out of the back resembled an actual mouse. At that time, personal computers were still years away. The Stanford Research Institute licensed the invention to Apple for a small amount (around $40,000) and Engelbart never received any royalties for his invention. However, in 2000 he did receive the National Medal of Technology for developing the mouse and helping to develop hypertext, both of which helped to usher in the age of personal computing.

Douglas Engelbart created the first computer mouse

from gajitz.com

Tags: Douglas Engelbart , computer mouse, Stanford Research Institute, Stanford , Bill English, Apple, National Medal of Technology, hypertext