Birthday of the Computer Mouse

What Is the Birthday of the Computer Mouse?

December 9th is the "Birthday of the Computer Mouse" in Japan. It marks December 9, 1968, when the American inventor Douglas Engelbart gave the presentation known as "The Demo," showing the mouse, windows, hypertext and more. It was established by the organizing committee of the "IT 25.50" symposium and certified by the Japan Anniversary Association in 2018.

The Day Computers Became Something Anyone Could Touch

"IT 25.50" combines two anniversaries: 25 years of commercial internet and 50 years since Engelbart's The Demo.

• Origin of the date: The Demo took place on December 9, 1968
• What was shown: the mouse, windows and hypertext -- the prototypes of today's computers and internet
• The person: Douglas Engelbart (1925-2013), called the father of IT
• Purpose: to make it a day for thinking about IT's past, present and future

Patented as an "X-Y Position Indicator," Measured in "Mickeys"

Engelbart filed for a US patent on the mouse in 1967 and received it in 1970. The patent title was "X-Y position indicator for a display system," and the device was a wooden box with two metal wheels. It got the name "mouse" because the cord trailing behind it looked like a tail. The unit for how far a mouse moves, incidentally, is called a "mickey."

Tips for Marking This Day

• Turn your mouse over, check the battery and give it a clean
• Learn one keyboard shortcut you have never used
• Look for footage of The Demo and watch how it was operated
• Consider when your office mice and keyboards are due for replacement

A Tool You Hold Daily, Designed Over 50 Years Ago

The idea behind the mouse in your hand goes back to a 1968 demonstration. December 9th is a day to look at where an everyday tool came from.