20 interesting facts about fireworks
- Fireworks were invented in ancient China in the 12th century to scare away evil spirits, as a natural extension of the Chinese invention of gunpowder.
- Settlers brought fireworks to the U.S. during 1600s.
- Cherry bombs, M-80s and other heavily charged explosive devices were deemed illegal by federal law in 1966.
- Italians were the first to manufacture fireworks in Europe.
- Red smoke balls are prohibited in California.
- The first multi shot repeater imported into the United States was the Flying Dragon & Jumping Tiger.
- An aerial shell has 2 fuses. The user lights the external fuse, and a second, internal fuse burns as the shell flies up igniting the burst or break.
- In Arabic countries, rockets were called Chinese arrows.
- King James II was so pleased with the fireworks display that celebrated his coronation that he knighted his Fire Master.
- It is believed that gunpowder was discovered accidentally by a Chinese alchemist who mixed sulphur and salt peter (potassium nitrate) over a fire. The Chinese name for gunpowder is "huo yao" (fire chemical).
- The first fireworks were actually green bamboo that were thrown into fires to scare spirits away in ancient China, called "pas chuk."
- Fireworks were soon applied to warfare by attaching them to arrows. The first such use, circa 1200 A.D., involved placing powder into paper tubes with a fuse or a trail of gunpowder wrapped in tissue paper that was attached to the arrows.
- Placing gun powder into bamboo stalks and then throwing them onto a fire to be ignited produced a louder and more powerful bang; hence the firecracker was born.
- In today's public display shows, computers are used to control the launching of the fireworks and the synchronization of the aerial bursts with music.
- Static electricity in synthetic clothing can ignite fireworks. Those who make fireworks wear cotton all the way down to their underwear.
- 30 years ago professional fireworks shows lasted on average over an hour, in comparison to today's shows which last approximately 20 minutes.
- The most dangerous fireworks-related tragedy in the world occurred on May 16, 1770, during the marriage of King Louis XVI to Marie Antoinette. After the celebratory fireworks show, there was a stampede where approximately 800 people where killed.
- Fireworks became very popular in Great Britain during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. William Shakespeare mentions fireworks in his works, and fireworks were so much enjoyed by the Queen herself that she created a "Fire Master of England."
- The earliest recorded use of gunpowder in England, and probably the western world, is by the Franciscan monk Roger Bacon.
- Legend has it that Marco Polo brought this new accidental invention to the West from one of his many trips to China and other Eastern countries.
