Is a router really just the same thing as a firewall?

I've been talking to a guy who's been an IT pro for like 30 years or something. I was trying to have a discussion about routers and firewalls and he goes off saying that a router is always a firewall and that the two are always the same thing and have been for decades. He went on to say that the idea that you even can separate the router and firewall is silly and that no separate devices have been around since the 90's.

EDIT: For what it's worth, I do know the difference. Routers route packets between different networks and firewalls allow or deny traffic based on specified rules. Pretty simple. That being said, I swear it seems someone always comes along to throw what I think I know to the curb and leave me scratching my head.