The History of Fireworks

The exact origin of fireworks is not exactly clear. Some experts believe that fireworks originated 2,000 years ago while others believe that they originated in the 9th century during the Song Dynasty in China. What is commonly agreed upon though is that the Chinese were the first to discover gun powders which lead to the creation of fireworks. Of course, the question remains, who discovered the firework? There is a legend that says a field cook discovered the invention on accident by mixing charcoal, sulphur and saltpeter and compressing them in a bamboo tube. While that is a cute rendition of how an iconic symbol was started, it is far from the truth!

The credit of discovering the firework was given to a Chinese monk named Li Tian. The belief is so popular that the Chinese people celebrate the invention of the firework every April 18th and present offerings to Li Tian. During the European Renaissance period Italians began to become creative with fireworks. They created canisters that were packed with the explosive composition and shot into the air as high as possible. Also important to note is that the Chinese created a similar product. Later, more intricate products were created. The Italians were noted for creating artistic landscape which they named "temples" consisting of firework wheels, fountains and torches.

 

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