Which came first? · Counterintuitive

Which came first: the death of Hans Christian Andersen or the Suez Canal?

The Suez Canal came first, in 1869 (opened). The death of Hans Christian Andersen followed 6 years later, in 1875.

  1. Second1875

    The death of Hans Christian Andersen

    person · dies

    Hans Christian Andersen, who wrote The Little Mermaid, died in 1875.

    Checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata

  2. First1869

    The Suez Canal

    landmark · opened

    The Suez Canal opened in 1869, letting ships skip the long trip around Africa.

    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.