Which came first? · Counterintuitive

Which came first: Air conditioning or World War I?

Air conditioning came first, in 1902 (invented). World War I followed 12 years later, in 1914 (begins).

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  1. First1902

    Air conditioning

    invention · invented

    Willis Carrier built the first modern air conditioner in 1902, for a printing plant in Brooklyn.

    Checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata

  2. Second1914

    World War I

    event · begins

    World War I began in 1914, a month after an assassination in Sarajevo.

    Checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata

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.