Douglas Engelbart changed the way computers worked, from specialized machinery that only a trained scientist could use, to a user-friendly tool that almost anyone can use. He invented, and contributed to several interactive, use-friendly devices including the computer ‘mouse’, which revolutionized the way we use computers.
The first computer mouse was invented in 1963-64 as part of an experiment to find better ways to ‘point and click’ on a computer display screen. Due to space restrictions, the first mouse had only one button and was carved out of wood.
Engelbart received a patent for the wooden shell with two metal wheels in 1970, describing it in the patent application as an “X-Y position indicator for a display system.”
The device was nicknamed the mouse because the end tail came out at the end!”
