c. 1440Reputable sourceWell documented
Gutenberg's printing press
On the timeline · around c. 1440 · Medieval
What happened
Johannes Gutenberg introduced movable-type printing in Europe; the Gutenberg Bible followed around 1455.
Why it matters
Mass-produced books spread literacy and ideas, fueling the Renaissance, Reformation, and Scientific Revolution.
How we know
Surviving Gutenberg Bibles and printing records from Mainz.
Sources
- Encyclopædia Britannica. Johannes Gutenberg · Reputable source