Free Knowledge Culture Calendar/November 22
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Johannes_Gutenberg_-_Lettre_d%E2%80%99indulgence_%28pour_l%E2%80%99exp%C3%A9dition_contre_les_Turcs_et_la_d%C3%A9fense_de_Chypre%29%2C_%28Mayence%2C_Johannes_Gutenberg%2C_1455%29_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/220px-thumbnail.jpg)
Today in 1454 Johannes Gutenberg printed his first dateable (and profitable) print product: one of thousands of indulgences. The ability to serve the religious market with masses of cheap print products was an impressive performance demonstration of the underlying movable-type printing technology. Although it was originally invented in China as early as 1040 A.D. (read: about 2,500 years earlier), this finally led to its widespread adoption which later also benefited dissemination of actual knowledge, serving the Renaissance and scientific revolution.