Douglas Engelbart
Engelbart showcasing two of his mice
Debut of the first mouse
The image to the right shows the first computer mouse, which was invented by Douglas Engelbart. The mouse was first showcased in his 1968 demo dubbed “the mother of all demo’s”. Engelbart stated that the device earned the name ‘mouse’ due to the resemblance it bore to the creature with its tail-like wire. The modern mouse uses this same tail-like chord.
The first prototype consisited of a square, wooden outer shell and containted a large wheel inside.
View of the wheel underneath
Engelbart revealed the mouse was just “a tiny piece of a much larger project, aimed at augmenting human intellect” and one solution to “problems facing mankind”.
Engelbart is also credited with being part of the development team responsible for hypertext, networked computers and precursors to GUIs. However, Engelbart is best known for inventing the first computer mouse.
Engelbart was born on January 30th, 1925 making him eighty four years old.
