The Gutenberg Revolution: A History of Innovation

Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in the mid-15th century altered the world. This groundbreaking technology enabled the mass production of texts, breaking the previous control of knowledge held by the church. Before Gutenberg's discovery, books were painstakingly written by hand, making them expensive and accessible only to the w

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A Strasbourg Dancing Mania of 1518

In the spring of 1518, the city of Strasbourg was gripped by a most peculiar and frightening phenomenon. A woman named Frau Troffea suddenly began to dance in the streets, obviously without any cause or provocation. Her uncontrollable dancing continued for months, and soon others followed her in this bizarre spectacle. Thousands of people, it is s

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