A big shout out to Christopher Latham Sholes and the 140th Anniversary of his U.S. patent of an invention he called the “type-writer”. This also makes him the person I most hated in Ms. Greene’s Grade 9 Typing Class. Chris “QWERTY” Sholes is responsible for the configuration of the keyboard.
Would it not just be easier in alphabetic order?
With eyes up and all fingers touching the keyboard I graduated Ms. Greene’s class with the required 35 w.p.m. Sadly, I have long since reverted to the two finger method with only a modest drop in speed.
C. L. Sholes continued to refine his invention and received a number of other patents. However unable to raise sufficient capital, he sold the rights five years later to the Remington Arms Company. The first U.S. Type-writer was thus manufactured by a gun company. I find this fact satisfyingly ironic, as I use my two trigger fingers to “hunt and peck.”
Apologies to Ms. Greene, wherever you are.