Wednesday 23 February 2011

A great day for Protestants. And Catholics. And shirty Frenchmen.

1455 - the printing of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Bible printed with movable type. Although the movable type must have caused problems. Turn your back and it was printing "Eskimo Nell". That's the problem with movable type, it's got a mind of its own.

1846 - John Henry Newman joins the Catholic Church. A great man, leaving a great institution, joining another one.

1898 - Emile Zola found guilty of libel for writing "J'Accuse". A letter challenging the government and accusing it of acting illegally, and of anti-Semitism.

Newman's work is lovely. And he lived out a relatively quiet life. Gutenberg got 2,000 litres of wine a year tax-free. Nice work, if you can get it. Zola risked his life and freedom, and may have been poisoned for political reasons.

The votes have been counted. Zola wins.

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