July 12

Compiled by humanist Hartmann Schedel and printed in Nuremberg, the Chronicle offered a comprehensive world history. It featured over 1,800 woodcut illustrations, maps, and city views that showcased Renaissance artistry. As one of the earliest extensively illustrated print works, it demonstrated the potential of movable type for mass dissemination. The book’s blend of classical and contemporary sources appealed to scholars, clergy, and the emerging mercantile class. Today, surviving copies are prized for their historical value and the Chronicle’s contribution to the visual culture of the 15th century.

Fray Diego de Landa led a brutal campaign against indigenous religious practices, deeming them heretical. He ordered the mass burning of Maya codices and ritual objects in the plaza of Maní, Yucatán. This event resulted in the loss of countless pre-Columbian manuscripts, severely limiting understanding of Maya civilization. De Landa later documented Maya language and customs, producing a controversial legacy of both destruction and preservation. Scholars regard the 1562 auto-da-fé as a dark chapter in colonial encounters, highlighting tensions between conquest and culture.

In 1580, the Ostrog Bible—the first complete printed edition of the Scriptures in Church Slavonic—was released in Ostroh (modern Ukraine). Ivan Fyodorov and Pyotr Mstislavets led the printing efforts under the patronage of Prince Konstantin Ostrogski. This monumental work standardized the Slavic liturgical text and enhanced literacy among Eastern Orthodox communities. Its elegant typography and careful translation set a high standard for future Slavic publications. The Ostrog Bible played a crucial role in preserving Orthodox traditions and shaping Slavic cultural identity.