Which came first? · Counterintuitive

Which came first: the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach or Montreal?

Montreal came first, in 1642 (founded). The birth of Johann Sebastian Bach followed 43 years later, in 1685.

  1. Second1685

    The birth of Johann Sebastian Bach

    person · born

    Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685; he once travelled to Halle to meet Handel, but Handel had already left town.

    Checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata

  2. First1642

    Montreal

    city · founded

    Montreal was founded by French settlers in 1642 as Ville-Marie.

    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.