History of the Typewriter

  • First Known Typewriter Created

    First Known Typewriter Created
    The first typewriter created was is 1829 by William Austin Burt. Although it was not called the typewriter and instead called the "typographer".
  • The Hansen Writing Ball

    The Hansen Writing Ball
    The Hansen Writing Ball was invented in 1865 by Rasmus Malling-Hansen , the director of the Royal Institute for Deaf and mutes in Copenhagen. It was patented and entered in production in 1870. It is the first typewriter to be commercially sold.
  • Patent for the First Typewriter "Writting Machine"

    Patent for the First Typewriter "Writting Machine"
    Although the first writing machine was created by William Burt it was not referred to as a typewriter. The first one was instead created by Christopher Sholes, Carlos Glidden and Samuel Soule.
  • Patent for Electrically Driven Typewriter

    George Arrington and Thomas A. Edison obtained a patent for an Electrically Driven Typewriter. This invention would be a key moment in the evolution of the typewriter.
  • Invention of the First Commercial Typewriter

    Invention of the First Commercial Typewriter
    This invention was known as the first typewriter. It would become a huge part of history changing how we write. This machine increased speed at which writing was produced.
  • "QWERTY" Typing Added to the Typewriter.

    "QWERTY" Typing Added to the Typewriter.
    The style in which keyboards are formatted now was invented. It was invented for an easier way to type documents. Because the first line of it was 'a-s-d-f-g-h-j-k-l' it closely resembled the alphabet. Making it easier to type.
  • Blickensderfer Typewriter Patented

    Blickensderfer Typewriter Patented
    The Blickensderfer Typewriter was invented by George Canfield Blickensderfer (1850–1917) and patented on August 4, 1891. It was the first portable, full-keyboard typewriter.
  • The Ford Typewriter

    The Ford Typewriter
    In 1895 the Ford Typewriter was invented. It is the first typewriter to use aluminum in its construction.
  • The Electric Blickensderfer

    The Electric Blickensderfer
    This is the first electric typewriter produced commercially. It was not a great success, because at the time electricity had not been standardized and voltage differed from city to city.
  • Remington Portable

    Remington Portable
    This is the first electric typewriter that is a huge success in the United States.
  • The IBM Selectric Typewriter

    The IBM Selectric Typewriter
    This used a typing ball instead of dozens of individual type bars. It took over 3/4 of the U.S. market.