A Brief History of Fireworks and Gunpowder

Gunpowder and fireworks march hand in hand across history. Where one goes the other soon follows. The origins of gunpowder and fireworks are rooted in the misty depths of ancient China. Legend says a cook accidentally dropped sulphur and salt peter into a charcoal fire and bang! That was the beginning of gunpowder. One thousand years later a monk named Li Tian put gun powder into a bamboo tube, sealed it and ignited it creating fireworks. Fireworks were originally lit during religious ceremonies like New Years to frighten evil spirits. America’s tradition of using noise makers on New Year’s Eve has similar origins.

Fireworks were brought to Europe by Marco Polo and spread slowly throughout Europe. Queen Elizabeth enjoyed fireworks so much she created the court position of Fire Master. The fireworks display for the coronation of James II earned the Fire Master a knighthood. Eighty years earlier James II’s grandfather was nearly assassinated with thirty-six barrels of gun powder in the famous Gunpowder Treason. Furthermore, that was not the first time gunpowder was used in royal assassination. Henry Lord Darnley, Scottish King Consort, was killed when his sickbed was blown to smithereens by a cellar packed with gun powder. Despite this bloody history, fireworks continue to be a popular and exciting way to celebrate important religious and cultural events.