Which came first? · Counterintuitive

Which came first: the birth of Jane Austen or the planet Uranus?

The birth of Jane Austen came first, in 1775. The planet Uranus followed 6 years later, in 1781 (discovered).

  1. First1775

    The birth of Jane Austen

    person · born

    Jane Austen was born in December 1775; after a harsh winter, she was not baptised at the local church until 5 April.

    Checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata

  2. Second1781

    The planet Uranus

    planet · discovered

    William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781 and wanted to name it after King George III.

    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.