Another reason it matters is they might have done it differently which could inspire future improvements. :)

I like to read bibliographies for that reason—to read books that inspired the author I’m reading at the time. Same goes for code and research papers!

Some people think it matters to properly learn history, instead of urban myths.

History is one thing, who-did-it-first is often just a way to make a point in faction debates. In the broader picture, it makes little difference IMHO.