The QWERTY keyboard is the standard keyboard layout in use today. It was developed in the 1800’s as the typewriter was becoming more common. The keyboard layout was developed to make sure that when common letters combinations were hit on the keyboard the typewriter would not jam. So letter combinations like C-H and I-E are on opposite halves of the keyboard. It was also developed so that a demonstrator could place their fingers on the top line and type the word TYPEWRITER without moving their fingers off that line.

( The Great Courses – Complexity)