The invention of the computer mouse

The inventor first developed a computer mouse in the 1960s and patented his creation in the 1970s, though the notion of operating a computer with an outside tool was ahead of its time and the mouse wasn't commercially available until 1984, with Apple's new Macintosh.

Douglas Engelbert

When Engelbert first created the computer mouse it was simply a wooden shell covering two metal wheels, and his invention was so early he hardly profited from it.

Engelbert's mouse patent had a 17-year life span and so the technology entered the public domain in 1987, meaning that he couldn't collect royalties on the mouse when it was most in use. At least one billion computer mice have been sold since the mid-1980s.

Engelbart, who was born in January 30 1925 and grew up on a small farm near Portland, Oregon, said his work was all about "augmenting human intellect". In 1968, Engelbart dazzled the industry at a San Francisco computer conference with the first public demonstration of the mouse and networked computing. His presentation prompted a standing ovation and became known as the "mother of all demos", as he demonstrated hypertext, shared screen collaboration and video teleconference. The American technology expert, Douglas Engelbert invented the device early in his career in the 1960s and only earned £33,000 for his creation.

There are only a handful of people who were as influential. He had a complete vision of what computers could become.

Marc Weber's mouse did not become commercially available until 1984 with the release of Apple's revolutionary Macintosh computer.

The technology passed into the public domain in 1987, preventing him from collecting royalties.

At least one billion have been sold since the 1980s.

Marc Weber, founder of the internet history program at the Computer History Museum in California, where Engelbert had been a fellow since 2005, said: "There are only a handful of people who were as influential. He had a complete vision of what computers could become at a very early stage."

- Internet