How many of these firsts do you know?

1. The first rail system was developed by the ancient Greeks around 500 B.C. It carried boats across the approximate route of the current Corinth Canal.

2. The first public concert for a paying audience was held in England in 1672 by violinist, John Banister. Prior to that time, musicians performed exclusively at court.

3. New Zealand was the first country to grant women the right to vote, in 1893.

4. The first recorded mention of a mechanical clock dates from 1088 China.

5. Ice cream was first made in ancient Rome, where the Roman Emperor Nero would send slaves to the mountains to collect snow, which he flavored with honey, nuts, and fruit.

6. That French breakfast essential, the croissant, actually originated in Austria, designed by a Polish baker. The crescent shape commemorates the Austrian victory over the Turks.

7. The first patent for a commercially produced dishwasher was filed in the U.S. in 1895 by Josephine Cochran.

8. The first “skyscraper” was the ten-story, Home Insurance Building, erected in Chicago in 1885. Chicago is still home to the building with the most stories. The Sears Tower has 110 stories.

9. The first cigarettes were smoked in 16th century Spain. However, the match wasn’t invented until 1827.

10. The first motion picture studio was built by Thomas A. Edison in 1893.

By Sandy Mitchell