Which came first? · Counterintuitive

Which came first: the first modern Olympics or Philips?

Philips came first, in 1891 (founded). The first modern Olympics followed 5 years later, in 1896 (opened).

  1. Second1896

    The first modern Olympics

    event · opened

    The first modern Olympics, in Athens in 1896, had athletes from 14 nations, all of them men.

    Checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata

  2. First1891

    Philips

    company · founded

    Philips was founded in Eindhoven in 1891 to make light bulbs.

    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.