Which came first? · Counterintuitive
Which came first: Air conditioning or the Panama Canal?
Air conditioning came first, in 1902 (invented). The Panama Canal followed 12 years later, in 1914 (opened).
- First1902
Air conditioning
invention · inventedWillis Carrier built the first modern air conditioner in 1902, for a printing plant in Brooklyn.
- Second1914
The Panama Canal
landmark · openedThe Panama Canal opened in August 1914, 401 years after Europeans first crossed Panama overland.
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All which-came-first pairs · About Older Than You Think · Quiz games
Years from Wikidata, each checked against the item’s English Wikipedia article on 2026-10-18. A year stands for what its label says: a founding, a first patent, a premiere.