Older Than deck

Inventions and everyday things

• 3D printing by stereolithographypatented
• Accordionpatented
• Air conditioning (Carrier)first installed
• Air-filled bicycle tyre (Dunlop)patented
• Automatic elevator doorspatented by Alexander Miles
• Backless bra (Phelps Jacob)patented
• Ballpoint pen (first patent)patented
• Barcodepatented
• Barometerinvented
• Breathing safety hoodpatented by Garrett Morgan
• Bubble chamberinvented
• Cash register (Ritty’s patent)patented
• Christmas cardfirst made
• Clear sticky tape (Drew)developed
• Compact Cassetteintroduced
• Compact Disc (audio)first on sale
• Computer mouseinvented
• Crossword puzzlefirst published
• Crown bottle cappatented by William Painter
• Digital camerafirst self-contained prototype
• Dishwasher (Cochran’s patent)patented
• DVD playerfirst on sale (Japan)
• Dynamiteinvented
• Earmuffs (Greenwood’s patent)patented
• Electret microphonepatent filed
• Electric battery (Volta’s pile)invented
• Electric motor (first rotation)shown by Michael Faraday
• Elevator safety brakeshown by Elisha Otis
• Esperantofirst published
• Falling-block puzzle game (Pajitnov)first program
• Fax machine (first patent)patented
• Ferris wheelfirst built
• First fully synthetic plasticdeveloped
• Flat-bottomed paper-bag machinepatented
• Fountain penpatented by Lewis Waterman
• Frequency hoppingpatented by Lamarr and Antheil
• Hand-cranked ice-cream makerpatented
• Hand-held electric drillpatented
• Home security camera systempatented
• Hook-and-loop fastenerpatented (US)
• Ice resurfacerfirst working prototype
• Instant noodlesmade by Momofuku Ando
• Instant photographyshown by Edwin Land
• Jigsaw puzzlefirst made
• Kaleidoscopeinvented
• Laserfirst built
• Lightning rodinvented
• Line-casting machinefirst used by a newspaper
• Lithium-ion batteryfirst on sale
• Lockstitch sewing machine (Howe)patented
• Mechanical reaper (McCormick)patented
• Microchip (integrated circuit)invented
• Microwave cookingdiscovered
• Non-reflecting glassannounced
• Nylonfirst made
• Paper staplepatented by George McGill
• Parachute jump from a balloonfirst made
• Pasteurisationinvented
• Phonographinvented
• Pianoinvented
• PIN for cash machinespatent filed
• Pop-up toaster (Strite’s patent)patented
• Portable electric vacuum cleanerpatented
• Portland cementpatented
• Postage stamp (Penny Black)first issued
• Postcardfirst issued
• PTFE (non-stick plastic)discovered
• Pull-tab can openerpatented by Ermal Fraze
• Pump-action water gunpatented by Lonnie Johnson
• QR codeintroduced
• Railway air brakepatented by George Westinghouse
• Razor with replaceable bladespatented
• Reusable “low-tack” gluediscovered
• Revolving doordesigned by Van Kannel
• Roll-film box camerafirst sold
• Rubik’s rotating-cube puzzlefirst prototype
• Rustless steel (Sheffield)made by Harry Brearley
• Safety pin (Hunt’s patent)patented
• Saxophonepatented by Adolphe Sax
• Screw-top preserving jar (Mason)patented
• Sleeve ironing boardpatented by Sarah Boone
• Sliced breadfirst sold
• Spinning jennyinvented
• Steam-engine lubricatorpatented by Elijah McCoy
• Stethoscopeinvented
• Stud-and-tube toy brickpatent applied for
• Sudokufirst published
• Super-strong aramid fibre (Kwolek)discovered in the lab
• Telephone (Bell’s patent)patented
• Television (first demonstration)shown by John Logie Baird
• Traffic lightfirst installed
• Transistorinvented
• USB 1.0introduced
• Vacuum flask (Dewar)invented
• Videotape recorderfirst shown in public
• Visible-light LEDdemonstrated
• Vulcanised rubber (Goodyear)patented
• Walking spring toypatented
• Waterproof nappy coverpatented by Marion Donovan
• Windscreen wiper (Anderson’s patent)patented
• World Wide Webproposed
• Zip fastener (Sundback)patented

Buildings and landmarks

• Akashi Kaikyō Bridgeopened to traffic
• Arch of Constantinededicated
• Atomiumopened
• Bayonne Bridgeopened to traffic
• Berlin TV Towerstarted operating
• Bibliotheca Alexandrinaofficially inaugurated
• Brandenburg Gatecompleted
• British Library (St Pancras)officially opened
• Bronx–Whitestone Bridgeopened to traffic
• Brooklyn Bridgeopened
• Brooklyn–Battery Tunnelopened to traffic
• Burj Al Arabopened
• Burj Khalifaopened
• Canton Toweropened to the public
• Casa Milàcompleted
• Centre Pompidouinaugurated
• Channel Tunnelopened
• Christ the Redeemerinaugurated
• Chrysler Buildingcompleted
• Clifton Suspension Bridgeopened
• CN Towercompleted
• Cologne Cathedralofficially completed
• Colosseumopened
• Confederation Bridgeopened to traffic
• Crystal Palaceopened (Hyde Park)
• Dome of the Rockcompleted
• Eiffel Toweropened
• Elbphilharmonieinaugurated
• Empire State Buildingcompleted
• Esplanade, Singaporeofficially opened
• Federation Squareopened to the public
• Flamsteed House (Greenwich)completed
• Florence Cathedral domedome completed
• Forth Bridgeofficially opened
• Gateway Archcompleted
• Golden Gate Bridgeopened
• Great Belt road crossingopened to traffic
• Guggenheim Bilbaoopened to the public
• Guggenheim New Yorkopened to the public
• Hadrian’s Wallconstruction began
• Hagia Sophia (today’s building)completed
• Heydar Aliyev Centerofficially opened
• Hoover Damcompleted
• Independence Palacepresent building inaugurated
• Jewel Changi Airportcompleted
• John Hancock Centercompleted
• Leaning Tower of Pisaconstruction began
• London Eyeopened for rides
• Lotus Temple, New Delhiopened to the public
• Louvre Abu Dhabiopened to the public
• Mafra Basilicaconsecrated
• Manhattan Bridgeopened to traffic
• Millau Viaductopened to traffic
• Mohammed VI Museuminaugurated
• Museum of Islamic Art, Dohaopened
• National Museum of Koreanew building opened
• Neuschwanstein Castleconstruction began
• Notre-Dame de Parisconstruction began
• Øresund Bridgeopened
• Oslo Opera Houseopened
• Palacio de Bellas Artesinaugurated
• Palais Garnierinaugurated
• Panama Canalopened
• Parthenonconstruction began
• Petronas Twin Towerscompleted
• Pont Neufcompleted
• Ponte Vecchio (today’s bridge)completed
• Quadracci Pavilionopened
• Queen Victoria Buildingopened
• Queens Midtown Tunnelopened to traffic
• Queensboro Bridgeopened to traffic
• Rialto Bridge (stone)completed
• Royal Albert Hallofficially opened
• Sagrada Famíliaconstruction began
• Shakespeare’s Globe (rebuilt)officially opened
• Space Needleopened
• Spanish Stepscompleted
• St Pancras stationopened
• St. Peter’s Basilicaconstruction began
• Statue of Libertydedicated
• Stonehenge (first stage)first built
• Suez Canalopened
• Sydney Harbour Bridgeopened
• Sydney Opera Houseopened
• Taipei 101completed
• Te Papa (Wellington)opened
• Throgs Neck Bridgeopened to traffic
• Tokyo Skytreeopened to visitors
• Tokyo Towercompleted
• Tower Bridgecompleted
• Trajan’s Columndedicated
• Transamerica Pyramidcompleted
• Trevi Fountaincompleted
• Triborough Bridgeopened to traffic
• Turning Torsocompleted
• Vasco da Gama Bridgeinaugurated
• Verrazzano–Narrows Bridgeopened to traffic
• Washington Monumentcompleted
• White Housefirst lived in
• Williamsburg Bridgeopened to traffic
• Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Townopened as a museum

Places, institutions and traditions

• AC Milanfounded as a football and cricket club
• Académie françaisefounded
• Ajaxpresent club founded
• Arsenalfounded as Dial Square
• Aston Villafootball club formed
• Athletic Club (Bilbao)football club formed
• Atlético de Madridfootball club formed
• Australian National Universityestablished
• AZ Alkmaarcreated as AZ’67
• Bank of Englandfounded
• Basketballinvented
• Boca Juniorsfootball club founded
• Borussia Dortmundfootball club founded
• Borussia M’gladbachsports club founded
• Bostonfounded
• Brasíliainaugurated
• British Museumfounded
• Canberraconstruction began
• Celticfootball club formed
• Chicago (as a city)incorporated
• Chitwan National Parkbecame a national park
• Columbia Universityfounded (as King’s College)
• Dovre National Parkestablished
• Evertonfootball club formed
• FA Cup (first season)first held
• FC Barcelonafootball club founded
• FC Twentecreated by a merger
• FC Utrechtcreated by a merger
• Fenerbahçesports club founded
• Feyenoordfounded as Wilhelmina
• FIFAfounded
• Food and Agriculture Organizationestablished
• Galatasarayfootball club formed
• Gutulia National Parkestablished
• Harvard Universityfounded
• Inter Milanfootball club founded
• International Olympic Committeefounded
• Jamestown, Virginiafounded
• Johns Hopkins Universityformally opened
• Juventusfootball club founded
• KRC Genkclub formed
• Kruger National Parkformed
• Kyoto Universityfounded (as Kyoto Imperial University)
• Laziosports society founded
• Leicester Cityfounded as Leicester Fosse
• Leiden Universityfounded
• Library of Congressfounded
• Liverpoolfootball club formed
• Louvre (as a museum)opened
• Manchester Unitedfounded as Newton Heath
• Metropolitan Museum of Artfounded
• Monash Universityestablished
• Moscow State Universityfounded by decree
• NASAfounded
• Nobel Prize (first awarded)first awarded
• Panathinaikosfootball club founded
• Paris Saint-Germaincreated by a merger
• Peking Universityfounded (as the Imperial University of Peking)
• Plitvice Lakes National Parkbecame a national park
• PSV Eindhovensports club founded
• Quebec Cityfounded
• Red Cross (international committee)founded
• Rondane National Parkestablished
• Royal Geographical Societyfounded
• Royal Societyfounded
• Saint Petersburgfounded
• Schalke 04founded as Westfalia Schalke
• Scoutingfounded
• Smithsonian Institutionfounded
• Southamptonfootball club formed
• Standard Liègefootball club formed
• Stanford Universityfounded (founding grant)
• Sydneyfounded
• Torinofootball club founded
• Tottenham Hotspurfounded as Hotspur FC
• Tour de France (first race)first held
• UEFAfounded
• UNICEFestablished
• United Nationsfounded
• University of Buenos Airesestablished
• University of Californiafounded
• University of Cambridgefounded
• University of Coimbrafounded (in Lisbon)
• University of Copenhagenfounded
• University of Glasgowfounded
• University of Grazfounded
• University of Groningenfounded (as an academy)
• University of Melbourneestablished
• University of New South Walesincorporated
• University of Otagofounded
• University of Queenslandestablished by act
• University of Sydneyfounded by act of parliament
• University of Tartufounded (as Academia Gustaviana)
• University of Tokyoestablished
• University of Viennafounded
• University of Western Australiaestablished
• Uppsala Universityfounded
• Valencia CFfounded as Valencia FC
• Volleyballinvented
• Washington, D.C.site chosen
• Werder Bremenfounded as FV Werder
• Wolvesfootball club formed
• World Health Organizationconstitution in force
• World Organisation for Animal Healthfounded (as the OIE)
• Yale Universityfounded
• Yellowstone National Parkfounded

Books, art, music and films

• A Christmas Carolfirst published
• Aida (Verdi)first performed
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderlandfirst published
• American Gothic (Wood)painted
• Animal Farmfirst published
• Anne Frank’s diaryfirst published in Dutch
• Anne of Green Gablesfirst published
• Beethoven’s Fifth Symphonyfirst performed
• Beethoven’s Ninth Symphonyfirst performed
• Bicycle Thieves (film)released
• Blindness (Ensaio sobre a Cegueira)first published in Portuguese
• Boléro (Ravel)premiered
• Brahms’s First Symphonyfirst performed
• Brahms’s Second Symphonycomposed
• Candidefirst published in French
• Carmen (Bizet)first performed
• Casablanca (film)released
• Catch-22first published
• City Lights (film)released
• Così fan tutte (Mozart)first performed
• Don Giovanni (Mozart)first performed
• Don Quixote (part one)first published
• Draculafirst published
• Fahrenheit 451 (novel)first published
• Falstaff (Verdi)first performed
• Frankensteinfirst published
• Grimms’ Fairy Tales (first volume)first published
• Guernica (Picasso)painted
• Gulliver’s Travelsfirst published
• Handel’s Messiahfirst performed
• Jane Eyrefirst published
• La bohème (Puccini)first performed
• La traviata (Verdi)first performed
• Leaves of Grass (first edition)first published
• Les Misérablesfirst published
• Little Women (first part)first published
• Lohengrin (Wagner)first performed
• Madama Butterfly (Puccini)first performed
• Madame Bovaryfirst published as a book
• Memorial do Conventofirst published in Portuguese
• Metropolis (film)released
• Micrographia (Hooke)first published
• Moby-Dickfirst published
• Modern Times (film)released
• Mona Lisabegun
• New World Symphonyfirst performed
• Nighthawks (Hopper)painted
• Nineteen Eighty-Fourfirst published
• No Longer Humanfirst published in Japanese
• On the Origin of Speciesfirst published
• One Hundred Years of Solitudefirst published in Spanish
• Otello (Verdi)first performed
• Paradise Lostfirst published
• Parsifal (Wagner)first performed
• Pather Panchali (film)released
• Pedro Páramofirst published in Spanish
• Peter and the Wolfcomposed
• Pictures at an Exhibitionpiano suite composed
• Pride and Prejudicefirst published
• Rhapsody in Bluepremiered
• Rigoletto (Verdi)first performed
• Robinson Crusoefirst published
• Romeo and Julietfirst published
• Sense and Sensibilityfirst published
• Seven Samurai (film)released
• Swan Lake (ballet)premiered
• Symphonie fantastiquefirst performed
• Tannhäuser (Wagner)first performed
• The 400 Blows (film)released
• The Adventures of Pinocchiofirst published as a book
• The Call of the Wildfirst published
• The Catcher in the Ryefirst published
• The Firebirdballet first performed
• The Grapes of Wrathfirst published
• The Great Gatsbyfirst published
• The Hobbitfirst published
• The House of the Spiritsfirst published in Spanish
• The Jungle Bookfirst published
• The Kid (film)released
• The Little Mermaid (tale)first published in Danish
• The Little Princefirst published
• The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart)first performed
• The Night Watch (Rembrandt)painted
• The Nutcracker (ballet)premiered
• The Rite of Springballet first performed
• The Scarlet Letterfirst published
• The Scream (Munch)painted
• The Three Musketeersfirst published
• The Wind in the Willowsfirst published
• The Wizard of Oz (film)released
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (book)first published
• Things Fall Apartfirst published
• To Kill a Mockingbirdfirst published
• Tokyo Story (film)released
• Tosca (Puccini)first performed
• Tristan und Isolde (Wagner)first performed
• Turandot (Puccini)first performed
• Waldenfirst published
• Weep Not, Childfirst published
• Winnie-the-Poohfirst published as a book of stories
• Wuthering Heightsfirst published

Events and discoveries

• Aluminiumfirst produced (impure)
• Battle of Actiumfought
• Battle of Hastingshappened
• Battle of Marathonfought
• Battle of Salamisfought
• Boronfirst obtained (impure)
• Caesar crosses the Rubiconhappened
• Calciumfirst isolated
• DNA double helixdescribed
• Electrondiscovered
• Eruption of Vesuvius that buried Pompeiihappened
• Explorer 1 launchedlaunched
• First ascent of Kilimanjarohappened
• First ascent of Mont Blanchappened
• First ascent of Mount Everesthappened
• First ascent of the Matterhornhappened
• First Biology Olympiadfirst held
• First Boston Marathonfirst run
• First Cannes Film Festivalfirst full festival
• First Commonwealth Gamesfirst held (as the British Empire Games)
• First Commonwealth Youth Gamesfirst held
• First Deaflympicsfirst held (as the Silent Games)
• First Edinburgh Fringe showsfirst performances
• First Emmy Awardsfirst presented
• First Eurovision Song Contestfirst held
• First flight across the English Channelhappened
• First football World Cupfirst held
• First Geography Olympiadfirst held
• First Grammy Awardsfirst presented
• First human heart transplanthappened
• First human in space (Gagarin)happened
• First Informatics Olympiadfirst held
• First Invictus Gamesfirst held
• First journey to the South Polehappened
• First long-distance telegram (Morse)happened
• First Maths Olympiadfirst held
• First men’s Basketball World Cupfirst held (as the World Championship)
• First Men’s Cricket World Cupfirst held
• First modern Olympic Gamesfirst held
• First Moon landing (Apollo 11)happened
• First Pan American Gamesfirst held
• First Paralympic Gamesfirst held
• First Rugby World Cupfirst held
• First smallpox vaccination (Jenner)happened
• First solo flight across the Atlantichappened
• First Space Shuttle flightfirst orbital flight
• First spacewalkmade by Alexei Leonov
• First Tony Awardsfirst presented
• First US tennis championshipsfirst held
• First Venice Film Festivalfirst held
• First Winter Deaflympicsfirst held (as the Winter Silent Games)
• First Winter Olympicsfirst held
• First Winter Paralympicsfirst held
• First Winter Special Olympicsfirst held
• First Winter Universiadefirst held
• First Winter Youth Olympicsfirst held
• First woman in spaceflew
• First women’s Basketball World Cupfirst held (as the World Championship)
• First Women’s Cricket World Cupfirst held
• First World Aquatics Championshipsfirst held
• First World Athletics Championshipsfirst held
• First World Gamesfirst held
• First World Table Tennis Championshipsfirst held
• First Youth Olympic Gamesfirst held (summer)
• Heliumseen in sunlight
• Hydrogenidentified as a gas
• Independence of Fijiindependence
• Independence of Ghanaindependence
• Independence of Indiaindependence
• Independence of Jamaicaindependence
• Independence of Kenyaindependence
• Independence of Namibiaindependence
• Independence of Papua New Guineaindependence
• Independence of Singaporeindependence
• Luna 2 reaches the Moonhit the Moon
• Luna 9 lands on the Moonlanded
• Magna Cartasealed
• Moon’s far side photographedphotographed by Luna 3
• Neptunediscovered
• Nickeldiscovered
• Okapidescribed by science
• Penicillindiscovered
• Phosphorusfirst made
• Plutodiscovered
• Potassiumfirst isolated
• Radium (the Curies)discovered
• Rosetta Stonefound
• Scandiumdiscovered
• Siliconfirst prepared
• Sinking of the Titanichappened
• Sodiumfirst isolated
• Sputnik 1 launchedlaunched
• Terracotta Armyfound
• Titaniumdiscovered in a mineral
• Tutankhamun’s tombfound
• Uranusdiscovered
• US Declaration of Independencesigned
• Venera 7 lands on Venuslanded
• Viking 1 lands on Marslanded
• Wright brothers’ first powered flighthappened
• X-raysdiscovered

Surprising comparisons

Questions people get wrong, answered from this deck’s checked data and drawn to scale. All comparisons

• Was the first fax patent issued before Bell’s telephone patent?
• Was the Statue of Liberty dedicated before the Eiffel Tower opened?
• Did the Penny Black stamp come before the first commercial Christmas card?
• Is the Brooklyn Bridge older than Tower Bridge?
• Was basketball invented before volleyball?
• Did the Wright brothers’ first powered flight happen before the first Moon landing?
• Was Harvard founded before the US Declaration of Independence was signed?
• Was Sudoku first published before the crossword puzzle?
• Was Gulliver’s Travels first published before Robinson Crusoe?
• Was Pride and Prejudice first published before Frankenstein?
• Was Loud’s ballpoint pen patented before Sundback’s zip fastener?
• Was Cochran’s dishwasher patented before Spangler’s portable electric vacuum cleaner?
• Was Casablanca released before The Wizard of Oz?
• Did the Wright brothers’ first powered flight predate the sinking of the Titanic?