Johannes Gutenberg and the Printing Press (Pivotal Moments in History)

In the 1430s, German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg began experimenting with printing from handset type casts. He later used his expertise to develop a printing press with movable type, a machine that added great speed, quality, and economy to the printing process. Gutenberg's printing developments coincided with other circumstances (such as the abundance of paper supplies and a growing middle-class with time and money to collect books) to create a pivotal point in Western history. For its part in providing literature and information to the masses, Gutenberg's press is regarded as key to the European Renaissance and as one of the greatest inventions of the second millenium.