Ruin My Week
Getting old freakin’ blows. It’s tough to admit it but once you’ve celebrated your 25th year around the sun it’s basically all downhill. Of course, nobody would consider someone in their thirties or forties “old” (unless you’re talking to some very honest children) but there’s no denying that your coveted youth is fading away.
Some people are aging like fine wine (which in this political climate is an actual miracle, good for you) but for the rest of us it’s tough to come to terms with father time. Fortunately, there are things all around us that even the old fogies weren’t around when they began or were invented. History is a magnificent way to help us feel young again.
Redditor u/kakou64 wanted to know: “What’s older than we think ?”
And the people of Reddit come in hot with interesting, fact-filled answers that will surely make you feel young again.
Enjoy a bit of history (and quality trivia knowledge) with this list of the 17 best answers.
1. Oreos
“Oreos. I was shocked to learn that Oreos predate chocolate chip cookies, sliced bread, and my 100-year-old Great Grandmother.” –TheSilentShane
2. Escalators
“Escalators have been around since 1859, though they were called rotating stairs.” –KidHarvey
3. Flush toilets
“Flushing toilets date all the way back to the Indus River Valley civilization, back in 2000 BC” –steveguyhi1243
4. Electric cars
“The electric car. What is likely the first human-carrying electric vehicle with its own power source was tested along a Paris street in April 1881 by French inventor Gustave Trouvé. The first crude electric car was built in the 1830s but it was essentially a semi-functioning model.
The electric car was a direct competitor to gasoline powered vehicles until the 1920s when roads got better, people started driving further than the range of an electric car, and the world started finding major oil reserves.” –Buwaro
5. Fax machines
“Fax Machines. They were invented in 1843. Before the telephone.” –Darpyface
6. The lighter
“The fact that the lighter is older than the match shook my head as a kid.” –Gyroklovn
7. The name Tiffany
“‘Tiffany’ It dates back to the 12th century, and has actually led to a thing in writing called “the Tiffany problem,” because you can have a well-researched historical novel that people just don’t buy into, because you named your 12th century peasant Tiffany. It just sounds laughably anachronistic.” –BeaneathTheTrees
8. Oxford University
“I was really surprised to discover when Oxford university was founded. They don’t know the year for sure, but they know there was definitely teaching going on there in 1096.” –princess_mothership
9. National Geographic
“National Geographic was founded in 1888.” –limgly
10. Nintendo
“Nintendo. This company was actually created in 1889.” –Andramalot
