INVENTOR

Bi Sheng

990 - 1052

Photo of Bi Sheng

Icon of person Bi Sheng

Bi Sheng (972–1051) was a Chinese artisan and engineer during the Song dynasty (960–1279), who invented the world's first movable type. Bi's system used fired clay tiles, one for each Chinese character, and was invented between 1039 and 1048. Printing was one of the Four Great Inventions. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Bi Sheng has received more than 225,024 page views. His biography is available in 30 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 27 in 2019). Bi Sheng is the 80th most popular inventor (up from 84th in 2019), the 229th most popular biography from China (down from 227th in 2019) and the 3rd most popular Chinese Inventor.

Bi sheng is most famous for the use of the "baozi" which is a dough-based food that is usually filled with meat, vegetables, or sweet beans.

Memorability Metrics

  • 230k

    Page Views (PV)

  • 63.26

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 30

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 8.39

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 2.14

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among INVENTORS

Among inventors, Bi Sheng ranks 80 out of 426. Before him are Claude Chappe, Charles K. Kao, Kōnosuke Matsushita, Jacques de Vaucanson, Alois Senefelder, and Ray Tomlinson. After him are Thomas Savery, Sakichi Toyoda, Henry Bessemer, James Hargreaves, Richard Arkwright, and Vladimir K. Zworykin.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 990, Bi Sheng ranks 6. Before him are Tughril, Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor, Lady Godiva, Pope Nicholas II, and Sancho III of Pamplona. After him are Samuel Aba, Mieszko II Lambert, Jovan Vladimir, Gisela of Swabia, Stefan Vojislav, and Hilarion of Kiev. Among people deceased in 1052, Bi Sheng ranks 2. Before him is Emma of Normandy. After him are Vladimir of Novgorod, Fan Zhongyan, Boniface III, Margrave of Tuscany, and Guaimar IV of Salerno.

Others Born in 990

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Others Deceased in 1052

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In China

Among people born in China, Bi Sheng ranks 229 out of 1,610. Before him are Wei Yan (200), 3rd Dalai Lama (1543), Zhang Xueliang (1901), Zu Chongzhi (429), Wong Kar-wai (1958), and Emperor Ming of Han (28). After him are Kanishka (78), Ban Gu (32), Wang Xizhi (303), Emperor Taizu of Jin (1068), Emperor Yuan of Han (-75), and Zhang Sanfeng (1200).

Others born in China

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Among INVENTORS In China

Among inventors born in China, Bi Sheng ranks 3. Before him are Cai Lun (48), and Charles K. Kao (1933). After him are Taiichi Ohno (1912), Yuan Longping (1930), Thonmi Sambhota (618), An Wang (1920), and Robin Li (1968).

Chinese born Inventors

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