Which came first? · Counterintuitive
Which came first: the death of Beethoven or the electric battery?
The electric battery came first, in 1800 (invented). The death of Beethoven followed 27 years later, in 1827.
- Second1827
The death of Beethoven
person · diesBeethoven died in 1827, after composing some of his greatest works while deaf.
- 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?
- Which came first: the Bank of England or the death of Beethoven?
- Which came first: the electric battery or the Met museum?
- Which came first: Beethoven's Ninth (Ode to Joy) or the electric battery?
- Which came first: the death of Beethoven or The Guardian?
- Which came first: the death of Beethoven or the stethoscope?
- Which came first: the American Civil War or the Library of Congress?
- Which came first: the Gettysburg Address or the Library of Congress?
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.