Which came first? · Counterintuitive
Which came first: the Turtle submarine or Washington, D.C.?
The Turtle submarine came first, in 1775 (built). Washington, D.C. followed 15 years later, in 1790 (founded).
- First1775
The Turtle submarine
invention · builtThe Turtle, a one-man wooden submarine, was built in 1775 to attack British warships.
- Second1790
Washington, D.C.
city · foundedWashington, D.C. was founded in 1790 as a brand-new capital.
More pairs that fool people
- Which came first: Gillette or the Turtle submarine?
- Which came first: Megalosaurus or the Turtle submarine?
- Which came first: the Arc de Triomphe or Washington, D.C.?
- Which came first: the Hermitage Museum or Washington, D.C.?
- Which came first: the French Revolution or the Turtle submarine?
- Which came first: The jigsaw puzzle or Washington, D.C.?
- Which came first: the birth of Jane Austen or the Louisiana Purchase?
- Which came first: Beethoven's Ninth (Ode to Joy) or the birth of Jane Austen?
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.