When Did the Middle Ages End?

This video goes over some of the factors that contributed to the end of the Middle Age (Medieval Era) or the transition to the Renaissance in Europe. It begins with a discussion of the Black Death, or Bubonic plague. It is estimated that between 30% and 60% of the population of Europe died as a result (perhaps as much as 25 million people). Another factor related to the transition from the Medieval period to the Renaissance was the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany. This helped the rapid spread of ideas (many of which were new). Moveable type printing presses helped make books affordable by the common person which greatly accelerated learning.