Which came first? · Tricky

Which came first: the Dutch East India Company or Robinson Crusoe?

The Dutch East India Company came first, in 1602 (founded). Robinson Crusoe followed 117 years later, in 1719 (published).

  1. First1602

    The Dutch East India Company

    company · founded

    The Dutch East India Company, from 1602, was one of the first companies to sell shares to the public.

    Checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata

  2. Second1719

    Robinson Crusoe

    book · published

    Robinson Crusoe was published in 1719, partly inspired by a real castaway.

    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.