Which came first? · Counterintuitive

Which came first: Merck or the Spanish Steps?

Merck came first, in 1668 (founded). The Spanish Steps followed 57 years later, in 1725 (completed).

  1. First1668

    Merck

    company · founded

    Merck traces itself to 1668, when Friedrich Jacob Merck took over a pharmacy in Darmstadt, Germany.

    Checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata

  2. Second1725

    The Spanish Steps

    landmark · completed

    The Spanish Steps in Rome were completed in 1725.

    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.