Who invented the printing press?

Johannes Gutenberg is credited with inventing the printing press around 1440. His innovation involved the use of movable type, which revolutionized the way books were produced, making them more accessible and affordable to the general public. Before Gutenberg’s printing press, books were laboriously copied by hand, often by monks in monasteries, which made them scarce and expensive. With Gutenberg's invention, it became possible to produce large quantities of written material quickly, which greatly contributed to the spread of knowledge, the Renaissance, and ultimately the Reformation.

Gutenberg's printing press laid the foundation for the mass production of literature and contributed significantly to the formation of the modern knowledge economy. It allowed for the dissemination of new ideas and played a crucial role in the advancement of literacy and education across Europe. The impact of this invention is profound, as it is often considered one of the most important developments in human history, enabling the sharing of information on an unprecedented scale.