-
4000 BCE
cuneiform originates in Mesopotamia
earliest cuneiform consisted of about 1500 pictograms -
2600 BCE
papyrus developed in Egypt
-
2400 BCE
cuneiform reduced
cuneiform was reduced from 1500 to 6-800 symbols -
1400 BCE
Chinese script developed
-
600 BCE
first Chinese books
-
500 BCE
writing developed in Mesopoamerica
-
100
development of paper in China, parchment and velum
-
100
codex developed
-
300
uncials script developed
-
500
papermaking travels from China to Korea to the world via the Silk Road
-
868
printing of The Diamond Sutra
-
1100
moveable type in China
-
1423
earliest European xylographic book
-
1450
Gutenberg works with investors to create moveable metal type and printing press
-
1462
Mainz printers disperse
-
1477
copperplate engraving developed
-
1480
over 100 print shops in Europe
-
1517
Reformation leads to print explosion
-
1539
First New World press established in Mexico City
-
First press in American colonies - Massachusetts
-
stereotyping invented
-
Copyright Act
First English law protecting authors -
encyclopedias come into existence
-
web-fed steam press invented
-
iron press replaces the wood press
-
book jackets appear
-
First automated typecaster invented
-
electrotyping developed
-
dime novels see immense popularity
-
Penguin books founded
-
Chester Carlton patents electrophotography
-
Pocket Books established
-
Memex concept lays groundwork for ebooks
-
Harlequin founded
-
Sale of paperbacks surpasses sale of hard covers
-
oNLine System demonstration introduces hypertext
-
Project Gutenberg founded
-
PageMaker software introduced
-
Apple introduces HyperCard
-
Development of web browsers showed potential of ebooks
-
Period: to
4000 BCE - Late 20th Century