Wait, What Year Is It Again?

Hang on a second. The first McDonald’s was in the 1940s? Picasso and Pink Floyd were part of the same timeline? A lot of historical facts mess with our perception of time, and we’re here to share 20 insane examples. 

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1. Betty White Was Born Before Sliced Bread

Oh, you thought Betty White was the best thing since sliced bread? It’s actually the other way around! Sliced bread didn’t hit shelves until 1928, six years after everyone’s favorite Golden Girl was born. 

Alan Light on Wikimedia

2. Guillotines Were Still Used When Star Wars Premiered

Guillotines are blessedly outdated by today’s standards, but they hung around longer than people realize. When Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope first released in 1977, France still used the device—and didn’t stop until the ‘80s.

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3. The Eiffel Tower and The Starry Night Were Made the Same Year

The Eiffel Tower’s construction started in 1887 and finished in 1889, an impressive feat for mankind. That same year, just a few hours away, Vincent Van Gogh completed a feat of his own. He painted one of today’s most revered paintings, The Starry Night. 

Vincent van Gogh on Wikimedia

4. Walt Disney World Opened the Same Year America’s Last Former Slave Passed Away

It’s hard to imagine Walt Disney World as anything but a magical place overrun with children and whimsy—but it first opened during a significant year. Just fifteen days after its birth in 1971, Sylvester Magee, the man widely regarded as America’s last living former slave, passed away.  

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5. Galileo Passed Away After Harvard Was Founded

Harvard is old. Really old. Older than people realize. So old, in fact, that it was actually founded before Galileo passed away. The esteemed university was officially built in 1636, and the famed astronomer wouldn’t pass away until 1642. 

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6. The Stegosaurus Was Older to the T. Rex Than the T. Rex Is to Us

Don’t assume all dinosaurs roamed the earth together. Believe it or not, some species are as old to each other as dinosaurs are to us today. For example, the Stegosaurus lived during the late Jurassic period about 150 million years ago—the Tyrannosaurus Rex wouldn’t come for roughly another 80 million years in the Cretaceous period. The Cretaceous period ended about 60 million years ago, so we’re all distant strangers to each other. 

ScottRobertAnselmo on Wikimedia

7. Pink Floyd and Picasso Lived at the Same Time

When you picture Pablo Picasso, you likely picture a painter lost to the 1930s. We still recognize his talent today, but he’s so far removed from the world that we sometimes forget how long he lived. Well, Picasso lived into his 90s! He passed away in 1973, the very year Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon released.

AnonymousUnknown author on Wikimedia

8. The Colosseum Was Built When the Gospel of Luke Was Written

Official dates are a little fuzzy but most historians agree that the Gospel of Luke was written between AD 80-110. Interestingly enough, the Colosseum’s construction ended in AD 80, around the same time that Luke put thought to paper. 

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9. Harvard is Older Than Calculus

Interested in a Harvard calculus class? Tough tomatoes. Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz wouldn’t write their first calculus papers until the 1680s. (We told you that school was old.) 

Godfrey Kneller on Wikimedia

10. The Ottoman Empire Existed When the Cubs First Won the Series

Before their third victory in 2016, the Chicago Cubs also won the World Series in 1907 and then again in 1908. However, while they were busy celebrating their 1907 win, the Ottoman Empire hadn’t fallen yet. 

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11. Anne Frank and Martin Luther King Jr. Were Born the Same Year

We’ve heard their names and we know their stories—but not many realize that Anne Frank and Martin Luther King Jr. were born the same year. Both historic figures were born in 1929. 

Unknown photographer; Collectie Anne Frank Stichting Amsterdam on Wikimedia

12. Charlie Chaplin Passed the Same Year Apple Was Incorporated

We don’t normally associate silent films with today’s tech, but they did share a brief moment in history. Beloved actor Charlie Chaplin passed away in 1977, the same year Apple was incorporated. 

Unknown photographer on Wikimedia

13. Frank Sinatra Passed Away the Same Day Seinfeld Ended

As if the Seinfeld finale wasn’t disappointing enough, it also marked a dark day for music. Iconic musician Frank Sinatra passed away on May 14, 1998, the same day the iconic sitcom ended.  

William P. Gottlieb on Wikimedia

14. Woolly Mammoths Lived During the Pyramids’ Construction

Don’t write these guys off with the dinosaurs. Believe it or not, the Pyramids of Giza were built well before woolly mammoths went extinct—several hundred years before, in fact.  

Mauricio Antón on Wikimedia

15. The First McDonald’s Debuted When the First Prisoners Were Brought to Auschwitz-Birkenau 

In May 1940, two brothers opened the first-ever McDonald’s in California. What started as a modest hamburger stand soon became one of the biggest fast-food chains of our time—but the year also marked something darker. That same year, the first prisoners of Auschwitz-Birkenau were brought inside the camp walls. 

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16. Fax Machines Lived When People Traveled the Oregon Trail

Pioneers could technically send faxes. The machines looked way different and the quality was shoddy at best, but it was still a possibility. Alexander Bain filed his patent for the fax machine in 1843, the same year a wagon train of pioneers set off on the Oregon Trail.

Pittigrilli on Wikimedia

17. Van Gogh Could’ve Enjoyed a Coke (in Theory)

Van Gogh likely didn’t sip this famous beverage, but it's strange to think he could have. Weirdly enough, both existed at the same time; Coca-Cola first debuted in 1886 and Van Gogh was born in 1853. That said, the first bottles unofficially arrived in France by 1919, 29 years after his passing. 

Vincent van Gogh on Wikimedia

18. A Civil War Vet's Widow Lived to See Obama's Presidency

Maudie Hopkins was widely considered the oldest living widow of a Confederate soldier. She lived into her 90s and passed away in 2008, meaning she saw Obama elected as the first Black president. 

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza on Wikimedia

19. Nintendo Was Founded When Jack the Ripper Was Around

Nintendo wasn’t always video games and iconic characters; the company was first founded in 1889 and originally produced handmade playing cards called Hanafuda. Not everyone was in a playful mood, however, as that year also marked a dangerous time for the streets of London—yes, Jack the Ripper was still loose when Nintendo arrived.

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20. You’re Older Than You Think

We hate to break it to you, but you’re older than you think. Born in the early ‘80s? That was about 40 years ago. Not even those born in the early 2000s are safe. All those popular movies and songs, your favorite sitcoms, are probably way older than you realize.

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