Wonder · Books and Printing
Printed, Not Copied
The Gutenberg Bible
The question
Why was the Gutenberg Bible, first available around 1455, a turning point?
- It was the first Bible translated into English
- It was printed with movable metal type(correct answer)
- It was the first book to contain pictures
The answer: It was printed with movable metal type
Johann Gutenberg's Bible, printed in Mainz and first available around 1455, was the first book printed with movable metal type in Western Europe. About 180 copies were made: 145 on paper and 35 on vellum, a treated calfskin. The Library of Congress owns one of only three complete vellum copies that survive.
- Civilization
- Holy Roman Empire
- Region
- Central Europe
- Period
- About 1455
- Location
- Printed in Mainz, Germany; copy at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
- Featured in
- Daily Discovery #005 · 6 November 2026
Image: MC BSU, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) (image source, opens in a new tab)
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