Jikji, printed with movable metal type
Movable metal type nearly 80 years before Gutenberg
In 1377 the Heungdeok temple in Cheongju printed 'Jikji', a collection of Buddhist teachings, using movable metal type. It is the oldest surviving book printed this way, nearly 80 years older than the Gutenberg Bible. Only the second volume survives, held by the National Library of France in Paris, and Korea has long sought its return.
Wikipedia (Russian) · Wikipedia (English) · 14th century
Did you know
Korean monks printed the Jikji with movable metal type in 1377, some 70 years before Gutenberg's press.
Meanwhile around the world (±25 years)
Europe
- 1385 Union of Krewo — 8 years later
Eastern Europe & Russia
- 1380 Battle of Kulikovo — 3 years later
Alive at the time
- Timur (aged 41)
- Edward III (aged 65)
- Sergius of Radonezh (aged 63)
- Charles IV (aged 61)
- Murad I (aged 51)
- Ibn Khaldun (aged 45)
- Dmitry Donskoy (aged 27)
- Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (aged 19)
- Andrei Rublev (aged 17)
- Bayezid I the Thunderbolt (aged 17)