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Johannes Gutenberg

Historical Figure

Johannes Gutenberg

d. 1468

German inventor and craftsman (c. 1393–1406 – 1468)

Late Medieval

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Key Dates

Biography

Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg was a German inventor and craftsman who invented the movable-type printing press. Though movable type was already in use in East Asia, Gutenberg's invention of the printing press enabled a much faster rate of printing. The printing press later spread across the world, and led to an information revolution and the unprecedented mass-spread of literature throughout Europe. It had a profound impact on the development of the Renaissance, Reformation, and humanist movements.

Source: Wikipedia · Compiled March 2026 · AI-summarized

Timeline

1468
Death

German publisher, invented the Printing press (b. 1398)

February 3 →

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