Which came first? · Counterintuitive
Which came first: the American Civil War or the fax machine?
The fax machine came first, in 1843 (first patent). The American Civil War followed 18 years later, in 1861 (begins).
- Second1861
The American Civil War
event · beginsThe American Civil War began in April 1861 with shots fired at Fort Sumter, South Carolina.
- First1843
The fax machine
invention · first patentAlexander Bain patented a way to send images down telegraph wires in 1843, decades before the telephone.
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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.