Which came first? · Counterintuitive
Which came first: Beethoven's Ninth (Ode to Joy) or the electric battery?
The electric battery came first, in 1800 (invented). Beethoven's Ninth (Ode to Joy) followed 24 years later, in 1824 (premiered).
- Second1824
Beethoven's Ninth (Ode to Joy)
music · premieredAt the premiere of his Ninth in 1824, Beethoven was so deaf he had to be turned to see the applause.
- First1800
The electric battery
invention · inventedAlessandro Volta built the first electric battery in 1800 from stacked discs of zinc and copper.
More pairs that fool people
- Which came first: the Eiffel Tower or the electric battery?
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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.