The Explosive History of Fireworks!
- Jul 18
- 1 min read
Source: npr.org
If you don’t see them, you hear them. On any July Fourth or New Year’s Eve, it’s common to experience the loud pop of a firework or see it colorfully explode into the sky and hang there briefly.
Fireworks originated in ancient China around the first century B.C., when bamboo thrown into a fire would explode with a loud bang. By the ninth century, the invention of gunpowder led the Chinese to pack bamboo—and later paper tubes—with gunpowder, creating the first true fireworks. Originally used to ward off evil spirits and celebrate births and weddings, fireworks became entertainment for China’s imperial court by the 12th century.
Fireworks reached Europe in the 14th century, where Italian artists transformed them into elaborate theatrical displays. Advances in chemistry during the 19th century made fireworks brighter and introduced the brilliant reds, greens, and other colors that light up the sky today.
European settlers brought fireworks to America, with displays dating back to Jamestown in the early 1600s. In 1776, John Adams famously predicted that Independence Day should be celebrated with “illuminations,” and Philadelphia held one of the first organized Fourth of July fireworks shows in 1777. Although deadly accidents in the early 1900s sparked the “Safe and Sane” movement to reduce fireworks use, the tradition endured.
Today, fireworks remain a hallmark of Independence Day celebrations. Consumer fireworks are legal in every U.S. state except Massachusetts, but they should always be used responsibility.
Read the entire article at: npr.org
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