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Johannes Gutenberg was born c. 1398 in Mainz, Germany.
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Johannes Gutenberg's life, accomplishments and contributions. By Julian McDonald.
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In c. 1439 - 1440, Johannes Gutenberg was credited as being the first European to use a printing press with movable type. The printing press he had developed, which was based on existing screw presses used to press cloth and grapes, was the first of its kind in Europe.
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In 1446, Gutenberg printed the "Poem of the Last Judgement", proof that printing of important books, poems and stories can be available to almost anyone.
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After Johannes Gutenberg perfected metal moveable type in 1446 with his unique blend of lead, tin, and antimony (a blue-white metalloid used today in electronics, paints, ceramic, etc.) for the blocks, a period called the Gutenberg Revolution began because more people began to gain access to education through Gutenberg's invention
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Just a few of the impacts that the Gutenberg Revolution and the Printing Press had on people and culture were:
- Literacy, and therefore education became more widespread due to the increased amount of reading material for the middle class
- The increased amount of educated people fueled the development of the middle class
- Industrial buisness and possibilities increased
-The middle class gained more disposable income
-New ideas spread faster
-People became freer to read whatever they wanted -
In 1448, Johannes Gutenberg printed the Calendar for the Year 1448. This was a very significant document because it revolutionized the access that average people have to things that are common today, such as the calendar.
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In the 1450s, Johannes Gutenberg printed his finest work, the Gutenberg Bible (sometimes known as the 42 Line Bible). The bible was an edition of the Vulgate, a 5th Century Latin version of the usual bible. This book is considered the first book printed with movable type in Europe.
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Johannes Gutenberg died on February 3, 1468 in Mainz, Germany. He was about 70 years old.
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How Johannes Gutenberg changed the world, culture and the lives of others.
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By 1499, an estimated 15 million books had been press printed in Europe, from thiry thousand book titles. Printing had also become established in more than 2500 cities around Europe, all due to Johannes Gutenberg and his printing press.
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In 1837, a large broze statue of Gutenberg, made by artist Bertel Thorvaldsen, was set up in Mainz, Germany; the city in which Johannes was born, and in which he died. This statue is significant because it proves that Johannes Gutenberg's influence was so large that the people of Germany decided to create a larger-than-life sized masterpiece to honour him and his contributions.
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In 1957, the development of the Internet began in the United States. The Internet would never have existed if Johannes Gutenberg had not made literacy more widespread, because people now, who are not elite upper class would not be able to use it.
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During the 1970's e-mail was developed in the United States. Johannes Gutenberg's invention gave people access to the literacy and education required to use this product, as it is all in letters.
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In 1997, Johannes Gutenberg's invention was picked as the most important invention of the second millenium.
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In 1999, A & E Network ranked Johannes Gutenberg #1 on their "People of the Millenium" countdown.
