Which came first? · Counterintuitive

Which came first: Iceland or the birth of Pope Francis?

The birth of Pope Francis came first, in 1936. Iceland followed 8 years later, in 1944 (becomes a republic).

  1. Second1944

    Iceland

    country · becomes a republic

    Iceland became a republic in 1944, though its parliament dates back to 930.

    Checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata

  2. First1936

    The birth of Pope Francis

    person · born

    Pope Francis, born in Buenos Aires in 1936, was the first pope from the Americas.

    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.