Printing

Printing, pioneered in ancient China with woodblock techniques and later advanced by Johannes Gutenberg's movable type press in the 15th century, revolutionized the spread of information. It enabled the mass production of books, making knowledge accessible beyond the elite. This invention accelerated literacy, scientific progress, and the exchange of ideas, fueling the Renaissance, Reformation, and ultimately laying the groundwork for the modern knowledge-based society and the democratization of learning.