Probably the most important milestone in the development of mass communication came in 1456 with the invention of the printing press and movable type. In Mainz Germany, Johannes Gutenberg pa the way for the reproduction of books for the masses by creating a usable printing system consisting of a simple set of metal characters. The Bible was one of the first books printed. Encouraged by a public eager for knowledge, the art of printing spread rapidly throughout Europe. Within 50 years, more than 30 thousand different books were printed, primarily religious and Latin classics,