William Caxton
/ˌwɪljəm ˈkækstən/
/ˌwɪljəm ˈkækstən/
- (c. 1422-91) the man who set up the first printing firm in Britain. He printed his first book in 1474. By printing books in English, Caxton had a strong influence on the spelling and development of the language. Many of the books he published were French stories which he translated himself.