Which came first? · Counterintuitive
Which came first: Hydrogen or the planet Uranus?
Hydrogen came first, in 1766 (discovered). The planet Uranus followed 15 years later, in 1781 (discovered).
- First1766
Hydrogen
element · discoveredHenry Cavendish identified hydrogen in 1766 and called it "inflammable air".
- Second1781
The planet Uranus
planet · discoveredWilliam Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781 and wanted to name it after King George III.
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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.