#6: The First Computer Mouse

The invention of the computer mouse marked the beginning of interactive computing. The mouse allowed people to interact directly with a computer interface, changing the tech landscape forever. But when was the mouse invented, exactly? We have the answer! This is the very first computer mouse prototype, built in 1964 by Bill English.

Bill English and inventor Douglas Engelbart worked together at the Stanford Research Institute to create this early version. According to the Stanford Research Institute, the original patent called this invention an “X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System.” Engelbart and English called it a “mouse” because the cord coming out of the bottom looked like a little tail. We think that name is much catchier.