What Came First?

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1. 1. Which was patented first? Bain’s fax precursor or Bell’s telephone?
   • A. Bain’s fax precursor (answer)
   • B. Bell’s telephone
   Bain patented an image-transmission precursor in 1843, 33 years before Bell’s telephone patent.
2. 2. Which patent came first? Yeates’s can opener or Durand’s food-preserving tin can?
   • A. Yeates’s can opener
   • B. Durand’s food-preserving tin can (answer)
   Durand’s tin-can preservation patent dates to 1810; Yeates’s purpose-built opener followed in 1855.
3. 3. Which happened earlier in 1889: Nintendo’s card business began or the Eiffel Tower was inaugurated?
   • A. The Eiffel Tower was inaugurated (answer)
   • B. Nintendo’s playing-card business began
   The tower was inaugurated on March 31, 1889. Nintendo’s original card shop began on September 23 that same year.
4. 4. Which came first? Teaching at Oxford or The Aztec Empire’s Triple Alliance?
   • A. The Aztec Empire’s Triple Alliance
   • B. Teaching at Oxford (answer)
   Teaching existed at Oxford by 1096. The Aztec Triple Alliance rose to power in 1428, more than three centuries later.
5. 5. Which vehicle was built first? Benz’s petrol-powered Patent Motor Car or Thomas Parker’s battery-electric car?
   • A. Thomas Parker’s battery-electric car (answer)
   • B. Benz’s petrol-powered Patent Motor Car
   Parker built a battery-electric car as early as 1884; Benz completed his petrol-powered three-wheeler in 1885.
6. 6. Which happened first? Titanic was launched into the water or Oreo cookies debuted?
   • A. Oreo cookies debuted
   • B. Titanic was launched into the water (answer)
   Titanic entered the water on May 31, 1911. Oreo’s official birthday is March 6, 1912.
7. 7. Which happened first? Commercial machine-sliced bread went on sale or Baird demonstrated working television to invited observers?
   • A. Baird demonstrated working television to invited observers (answer)
   • B. Commercial machine-sliced bread went on sale
   Baird’s demonstration was on January 26, 1926. Commercial machine-sliced bread debuted in Chillicothe on July 7, 1928.
8. 8. Which came first? A public handheld cellular-phone call or The first Sony Walkman?
   • A. The first Sony Walkman
   • B. A public handheld cellular-phone call (answer)
   Motorola demonstrated a handheld cellular call in 1973; Sony introduced its first Walkman in 1979.
9. 9. Which came first? Play-Doh as a children’s modelling product or The original Radarange microwave oven?
   • A. The original Radarange microwave oven (answer)
   • B. Play-Doh as a children’s modelling product
   The large early Radarange appeared in 1947. The Play-Doh brand began in 1956.
10. 10. Which came first? Yellowstone became a national park or Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis patented riveted work pants?
    • A. Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis patented riveted work pants
    • B. Yellowstone became a national park (answer)
    Yellowstone was established on March 1, 1872. The riveted work-pants patent followed in 1873.
11. 11. Which happened first? Abraham Lincoln died or London’s first Underground line opened?
    • A. London’s first Underground line opened (answer)
    • B. Abraham Lincoln died
    The Metropolitan Railway opened on January 10, 1863. Lincoln died on April 15, 1865.
12. 12. Which happened first? Sundback developed the modern zipper or Garrett Morgan patented his traffic signal?
    • A. Garrett Morgan patented his traffic signal
    • B. Sundback developed the modern zipper (answer)
    Sundback had created the modern zipper by December 1913. Morgan’s traffic-signal patent followed in 1923.