1) Johannes Gutenberg got the final design of the printing press working in 1450. His first project was printing indulgences that the Church used, In 1451 he used the printing press to produce copies of the Bible, resulting in the famous Gutenberg Bible. Success of the printing press came from increased literacy rates. His printing press was used throughout Europe in the following years. This information came from Oregon State. This photo is from Wikimedia Commons and is free to share.