Which came first? · Counterintuitive

Which came first: the end of the Holy Roman Empire or the platypus?

The platypus came first, in 1799 (described). The end of the Holy Roman Empire followed 7 years later, in 1806.

  1. Second1806

    The end of the Holy Roman Empire

    country · ends

    The Holy Roman Empire lasted until 1806, when it was dissolved under pressure from Napoleon.

    Checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata

  2. First1799

    The platypus

    animal · described

    When the platypus was first described in 1799, some British scientists thought the specimen was a fake.

    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.