Boom! A brief history of fireworks

The American Pyrotechnics Association estimates that more than 16,000 fireworks displays light up U.S. skies each Fourth of July. The nation has been marking Independence Day ever since July 4, 1777, when Philadelphia celebrated the one-year anniversary of the final version of the Declaration of Independence. But the history of fireworks, of course, starts thousands of years ago.

Second century B.C.
Historians believe that the earliest forms of fireworks were created by the Chinese. Bamboo stalks, when thrown into a bonfire, would pop as the hollow air pockets overheated — and this was thought to ward off evil spirits.

600 A.D.-900 A.D.
A Chinese alchemist mixed potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal to make gunpowder, and with gunpowder — voila! fireworks. These light shows were orchestrated to celebrate weddings, ceremonies, and festivals.

Early 1200s 
During the Mongolian wars, Chinese soldiers learned to defend themselves with cannons — and celebrated successful battles with fireworks.

1240 
Records reveal that fireworks had spread to areas in Arabic and Islamic lands, where they were referred to as “Chinese flowers.”

1295
Marco Polo brought fireworks from Asia to Europe, among spices and other imports.

1400
In India, fireworks were probably used around in the celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights.

1685
King James II adored fireworks so much that his coronation in 1685 featured great light shows and he knighted his firemaster. 

1600s
Peter the Great wanted to use fireworks to modernize Russia, and demanded that fireworks be included during major holidays like Christmas, Maslenitsa (the last week before Lent), and New Year’s Day.

1733
Japan used fireworks as part of a memorial service for victims of a local famine, which began the popularization of using fireworks in Japanese culture. 

1830s
Italian pyrotechnicians brought more color into the pyrotechnics by adding chlorinated powder and metallic salts such as barium for green and copper for blue.

1966
Cherry bombs were banned in the U.S., but were successfully smuggled in by bootleggers so pranksters could blow up toilets throughout America.

Today, in addition to July 4, we invoke fireworks every time we stand and sing our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” at ballgames: “The rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air ….” It’s literally written into our nation’s history.