Which came first? · Counterintuitive
Which came first: Kongō Gumi, the oldest company or the Tower of London?
Kongō Gumi, the oldest company came first, in AD 578 (founded). The Tower of London followed about 490 years later, in c. 1066 (founded).
- FirstAD 578
Kongō Gumi, the oldest company
company · foundedKongō Gumi was founded in 578 by a temple carpenter; the Kongō family ran it for over 1,400 years, until 2006.
- Secondc. 1066
The Tower of London
landmark · foundedWilliam the Conqueror began the Tower of London soon after his invasion in 1066.
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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.