Which came first? · Counterintuitive
Which came first: San Marino or the Western Roman Empire falls?
San Marino came first, in AD 301 (traditional founding). The Western Roman Empire falls followed 175 years later, in AD 476 (ends).
- FirstAD 301
San Marino
country · traditional foundingSan Marino traces its founding to 301, which would make it the oldest surviving republic.
- SecondAD 476
The Western Roman Empire falls
country · endsThe Western Roman Empire ended in 476 when its last emperor was deposed.
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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.