Which came first? · Tricky
Which came first: Harvard University or Newcomen's steam engine?
Harvard University came first, in 1636 (founded). Newcomen's steam engine followed 76 years later, in 1712 (first one built).
- First1636
Harvard University
university · foundedHarvard was founded in 1636; it only took the name Harvard College in 1639, after its first benefactor John Harvard.
- Second1712
Newcomen's steam engine
invention · first one builtNewcomen's steam engines were pumping water out of mines from 1712, 57 years before James Watt improved the design in 1769.
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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.