History of Fireworks

History of Fireworks

The birthplace of fireworks is generally recognized as China. It is

said that a Chinese cook accidently mixed three common kitchen

ingredients (black powder): Potassium nitrate or salt petre, sulphur

and charcoal and lighted it. The result was colourful flames. The cook

also noticed that if the mixture was burned when enclosed in the

hollow of a bamboo shoot, there was a tremendous explosion. The first

application of this technology was for entertainment. Slowly the

theory took roots that this loud sound was perfect to chase away evil

spirits and to celebrate weddings, victories in battles, eclipses of

moon and religious ceremonies.

Once the recipe for black powder was perfected, they found that it was

easily used as rocket fuel, and they made hand carved wooden rockets

in the shape of a dgoran, in the sixth century. These rockets shot

rocket powered arrows from their mouth, and were used against the

Mongol invaders of 1279. The principle behind these rockets is still

used in rocket powered fireworks today.

From China the fireworks moved on to the West, through adventurous

explorers. 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. Thus the knowledge of making fireworks spread west,

through Arabia in the seventh century. The Arabs called the rockets

Chinese arrows.

The earliest recorded use of gunpowder in England, and probably the

western world, is by the Franciscan monk Roger Bacon. He was born in

Ilminster in Somerset in 1214 and lived, as a master of languages,

maths, optics and alchemy to 1294. He recorded his experiments with a

mixture which was very inadequate by todays standards but was

recognisable as gunpowder. His formula was very low in saltpetre

because there was no natural source available, but it contained the

other two essential ingredients: charcoal and sulphur.

In 1242 he wrote: "...if you light it you will get thunder and

lightening if you know the trick", Fireworks as such probably arrived

in the 14th century, brought back from the East by Crusaders, and they

rapidly became a form of international entertainment. The first

recorded fireworks in England were at the wedding of Henry VII in

1486. They became very popular during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Shakespeare mentions them and they were so much enjoyed by the Queen

herself that she created a "Fire Master of England". James II was so

pleased with his coronation display that he knighted his firemaster.

King Charles V as well had a great liking for fireworks. He had many

'fireworkers' in his staff.