Which came first? · Tricky

Which came first: Gutenberg's printing press or Oxford University?

Oxford University came first, in 1096 (teaching begins). Gutenberg's printing press followed about 340 years later, in c. 1439 (invented).

  1. Secondc. 1439

    Gutenberg's printing press

    invention · invented

    The first known mention of Gutenberg's printing work is a 1439 lawsuit describing his types and type molds.

    Checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata

  2. First1096

    Oxford University

    university · teaching begins

    Teaching at Oxford is recorded from 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world.

    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.