Inventors
Johannes Gutenberg
c. 1400–1468 · Printer of a system
Mainz
Gutenberg’s fame is a Bible. His invention is a combination: metal type, oil ink, paper, and a press. The combination made editions cheap enough to argue in public. He is a wheel-turner of communications, not because he was first on Earth, but because his package scaled in Europe.
Why it mattered
- Turned the book from treasure to tool.
- Made errata and new editions a public loop.
