The Inventor of the Computer Mouse: Doug Engelbart, RIP

Screen shot 2013-07-03 at 6.55.22 PMI remember when I first laid my hand upon a computer mouse. I moved the mouse and the blinking thing on the computer screen moved as well. Gasp. Magic, it was.

The inventor of the computer mouse, Doug Engelbart, died late Tuesday, July 2. He was 88.

The first mouse was a wooden contraption and was patented in 1970. This was incredible foresight in a world where computers were still enormous and ran with knobs and switches and data cards. He was so far ahead of his time, that he never really profited from this amazing invention. Although Apple started using the mouse in 1984, Engelbart’s patent ran out just 3 years later. So for all the years that the mouse was used by millions, Engelbart was unable to collect royalties on his invention. Basically …. he invented it “too soon”.

Below is a video which is part of a presentation Engelbart and others made in 1968. He throws out for consideration the astounding idea of a computer at an individual’s work place, and continues on to demonstrate the most basic of functions that were at the time … well, Magical.

Inventor Of Computer Mouse Dies; Doug Engelbart Was 88


Engelbart, inventor of computer mouse, dies at 88


13 thoughts on “The Inventor of the Computer Mouse: Doug Engelbart, RIP

  1. Interesting facts, Its been a while since I used a mouse. and remember the struggle of learning the mouse, and then later on the touch pad on the Laptop. Amazing How we progress .. Magical indeed, and now we use phones to do the same thing… Amazing!

    Thankyou for sharing, Facts I didnt know.. x

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