Which came first? · Counterintuitive

Which came first: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony or the discovery of the Rosetta Stone?

The discovery of the Rosetta Stone came first, in 1799. Beethoven's Fifth Symphony followed 9 years later, in 1808 (premiered).

  1. Second1808

    Beethoven's Fifth Symphony

    music · premiered

    Beethoven's Fifth was first played in 1808 in a cold concert hall during a four-hour concert.

    Checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata

  2. First1799

    The discovery of the Rosetta Stone

    discovery · found

    French soldiers found the Rosetta Stone in 1799; it became the key to reading hieroglyphs.

    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.