360The first Encyclopaedia Britannica begins to appear
In December 1768, the first part of the Encyclopaedia Britannica was published in Edinburgh, Scotland, sold in weekly instalments. The full first edition, in three volumes, was finished in 1771. It became the best-known reference work in the English language, and after more than 240 years in print it moved online in 2012.
The 18th century was an age of encyclopaedias, as scholars tried to gather all human knowledge in one place.
In Edinburgh, the printer Colin Macfarquhar and the engraver Andrew Bell hired the scholar William Smellie to edit a new encyclopaedia. The first instalment appeared in December 1768.
The first edition was completed in 1771 in three volumes, with long articles on major subjects and short entries for everything else, illustrated with copper engravings.
Later editions grew enormously and drew articles from leading experts. The 2010 edition was the last in print, and since 2012 Britannica has been published only online.
- December 1768
- First instalment published
- 1771
- First edition completed
- 1911
- The famous 11th edition
- 2012
- Print edition ends
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica · National Library of Scotland.