World Typing Day began in Malaysia in 2011 and the day commemorates the Malaysian Speed Typing Contest.
The invention of various kinds of typing machines was attempted throughout the 19th century but most were large and cumbersome, some resembling pianos in size and shape. All were much slower to use than handwriting.
Typewriting machines as we know them have been around since Christopher Latham Sholes of Wisconsin, USA patented one in 1868.
Nearly since its invention, the typewriter has contained the QWERTY keyboard layout – the order of the first six keys on the top left part of the keyboard.
Pebble Beach, California: c. 1950. The press room at the Crosby Clambake Golf Tournament. Credit: Underwood Archives/Universal Images Group 
India, West Bengal, Kolkata, A street typist prepares a document for a client. Credit: Eye Ubiquitous/Universal Images Group 
Olivetti, typewriters, advertising. Credit: Universal Archive/Universal Images Group 
Typists from the Italian Navy which are equipped almost entirely with American typewriters – unknown date. Credit: HUM Images/Universal Images Group 
Braille typewriter. School for blind people. Credit: Ton Koene/VWPics 
American typewriter salesman for Remington typewriters in Beluchistan (modern day Pakistan) ca. between 1909 and 1920. Credit: HUM Images/Universal Images Group 
Women working on the Underwood Typewriter Company assembly Line, overseen by a male supervisor (background), Hartford, CT, 7/5/1962. Credit: GG Vintage Images/Universal Images Group 
Heatwave 1955, Netherlands. At the offices, the typists can have their fun with these tropical temparatures. Credit: Sepia Times/Universal Images Group 
Old Typewriter. Credit: Eric Schwortz/GHI/Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group
When Sholes made his first typewriters, he arranged the letters in alphabetical order. Typists found that the letter bars frequently jammed against each other during typing. Sholes therefore determined the most often-used combinations of letters and separated them as widely as possible so they would not get in each other’s way. The result was today’s QWERTY alpha-numeric arrangement, which is still popular and can be found not only on typewriters but also on computer and phone keyboards.
There was no shift key on it – it typed capital letters only. This was remedied in 1878 by the addition of the shift key and the placing of two letters on each typing bar – one capital and the other lower case.
In 1935, IBM developed the first successful electric typewriter. In 1964, IBM made more improvements on the typewriter by developing the first word processor. During the 1980s, computers began to replace typewriters. However, typing skills were, and continue to be, useful for writing and working on the computer.
Rows of typewriters on display in store window, United Typewriter and Adding Machine Co., Washington, D.C., USA, David Myers, U.S. Farm Security Administration, July 1939. Credit: Circa Images/GHI/Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group 
Trademark registration by Standard Typewriter Manufacturing Company for Remington brand Type Writing Machines, 1888 Oct. 23. Credit: Sepia Times/Universal Images Group 
Woman using a typewriter ca. 1924. Credit: HUM Images/Universal Images Group 
This Remington Standard Model Number 6 typewriter was manufactured by the Remington Standard Typewriter Company around 1894. Credit: Ivy Close Images/Universal Images Group 
Soldier at a typewriter, probably in Malacca circa March 1946. Credit: HUM Images/Universal Images Group 
Mercedes; Typewriter, Ernst Deutsch-Dryden (Vienna 1887 – 1938 Los Angeles), 1911, Print. Credit: Sepia Times/Universal Images Group 
Gypsy Rose Lee, portrait, seated at typewriter, Fred Palumbo, New York World-Telegram & Sun Collection, 1956. Credit: Circa Images/GHI/Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group 
Olivetti factory, Italy 1970’s. Credit: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group
The Shift key, Space bar and (lever operated carriage) Return are just some of the other lasting elements of the original typewriters that we are now all familiar with on our computer and phone keyboards.
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Sources:
https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/typewriter/277479