On 17 November 1970,
The tech maestro Douglas Engelbart secured a patent for his brainchild—the “X-Y Position Indicator For A Display System,” better known as the computer mouse. Wondering about the “mouse” moniker? Well, Engelbart, in his playful brilliance, likened the cord’s appearance to a cute rodent tail. Tech with a touch of critter charm—adorable, right?
Now, let’s rewind to 1964, when this mouse first made its appearance in the tech scene. However, it stayed in the shadows until 1968 when it finally took centre stage. But it was a bit of a tease, making its commercial computer debut only in 1981 with the Xerox 8010 Star Information System. Apple, the perennial trendsetter, introduced the mouse to the personal computer party with the Lisa in 1983.
Hold on for the grand finale! In 1984, thanks to Apple’s Macintosh, the mouse became the tech rockstar we all know and love today. Suddenly, everyone wanted to join the mouse-clicking fiesta, and the rest is click-tory! Here’s to Engelbart and his whimsical rodent-inspired invention that changed the tech game.