who made the typewriter
The typewriter does not have a single, simple “inventor,” but the person most often credited is Christopher Latham Sholes , an American inventor who, with collaborators, created the first commercially successful typewriter in 1868.
Quick Scoop: Who “Made” the Typewriter?
- Early experiments with writing machines go back to the 18th and early 19th centuries, so the idea evolved over time rather than appearing all at once.
- In 1808 , Italian inventor Pellegrino Turri built a writing machine to help a blind countess write, a key step toward mechanized writing.
- In 1829 , American William Austin Burt patented the “Typographer,” often cited as one of the first documented typewriters, though it was not a commercial success.
- The real breakthrough came with Christopher Latham Sholes , working with Carlos Glidden, Samuel Soule, and Frank Haven Hall , who patented the Sholes and Glidden typewriter in 1868 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- Their machine was the first commercially successful typewriter and introduced the QWERTY keyboard layout that is still standard on most keyboards today.
So if you’re answering “who made the typewriter” in a quick, modern sense, the best short answer is:
Christopher Latham Sholes (with collaborators) made the first practical, commercially successful typewriter and popularized the design that led to the modern typewriter and keyboard.
TL;DR:
Many inventors worked on early writing machines, but Christopher Latham Sholes
is most widely recognized for inventing the first practical, commercially
successful typewriter in 1868, together with Carlos Glidden, Samuel Soule, and
Frank Haven Hall.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.