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Bi Sheng in China invented movable clay type
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Europeans use xylography (art of engraving on wood, block printing) to produce books.
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Gutenberg moved from his native town of Mainz to Strasburg
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Gutenberg begins work on his printing press.
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Gutenberg was sued for "breach of promise of marriage" by a young lady of Strasburg
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Gutenberg completed his wooden press which used movable metal type.
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Laurens Janszoon Koster (Coster) is credited, by some, with inventing movable metal type
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Gutenberg returns to Mainz and sets up a printing shop
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Gutenberg prints the "Poem of the Last Judgment"
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Gutenberg prints the "Calendar for 1448"
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Gutenberg' formed a partnership with the wealthy Johann Fust
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Gutenberg begins work on a Bible, the first is 40 lines per page.
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Gutenberg begins printing the 42-line Bible in two volumes.
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Gutenberg prints indulgences (notes sold to Christians by the Pope, pardoning their sins)
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First block-printed Bible, the Biblia Pauperum, published in Germany.
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Gutenberg completed work on what is estimated to be 200 copies of the Bible
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Gutenberg was effectively bankrupt. Investor Johann Faust gains control of print business
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First known color printing, a Psalter (a collection of Psalms for devotional use) by Faust.
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Gutenberg reestablished himself in the printing business with the aid of Conrad Humery
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Albrecht Pfister printed the first illustrated book Edelstein which featured a number of woodcuts.
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Gutenberg is appointed to the court of Archbishop Adolf of Nassau
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Two hundred woodcuts were used in a edition of Aesop's Fables
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First use of copper engravings instead of woodcuts for illustration
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William Caxton sets up his printing press in Westminster, England.
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Printing had become established in more than 2500 cities around Europe.
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An estimated 15 million books have been press printed, representing thirty thousand book titles
CAPs: Johannes Gutenberg, Johann Gutenberg, Bi Sheng, Laurens Janszoon Koster, Johann Faust, Peter Schoffer, Albrecht Pfister, Conrad Humery, Archbishop Adolf of Nassau, William Caxton, Gutenberg Bible, 42-line Bible, Mazarin Bible, Diamond Sutra, Poem of the Last Judgment, Calendar for 1448, Psalter, Aesop's Fables,
SIPs: printing press, movable type, xylography, metal type, indulgences, typography, -
The Diamond Sutra, a Buddhist scripture, was the first dated example of block printing.