Did you know that fireworks displays actually have a history? According to scholars, war rockets and explosives were first made in China during the 6th century. The first fireworks were probably firecrackers, also known as Chinese crackers. Firecrackers are still used in China — and elsewhere — to celebrate weddings, births and Chinese New Year.
- In the 14th century, Europeans began using gunpowder for weapons, as well as for pyrotechnics shows for entertainment; Italians and Germans were recognized as the masters of the fireworks game.
- Some medieval fireworks featured living people holding sky rockets and other fireworks. They were called "green men" because they placed leaves and greenery all over their bodies to ward off burns.
- In England, a fireworks display helped celebrate the 1486 wedding of Henry VII, and by 1749 fireworks were such the rage that composer George Friedrich Handel created a symphony called “Music for the Royal Fireworks.”
- Fireworks finally made a big bang in the U.S. before the Revolutionary War and fireworks displays have been synonymous with the Fourth of July since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The biggest U.S. fireworks display ever was staged for the centenary of the Statue of Liberty in 1986, which brought together Zambelli, Grucci and Souza, the biggest names in modern-day American pyrotechnics.
- The earliest documentation of fireworks dates back to 7th century China. They were invented more than 2000 years ago in China.
- China is the largest manufacturer and exporter of fireworks in the world. 90% of all fireworks originate from here.
- In 1240, AD the Arabs acquired knowledge of gunpowder. A Syrian named Hasan al-Rammah wrote of fireworks using terms that suggested he derived his knowledge from Chinese sources.
- The first recorded fireworks in England were at the wedding of King Henry VII in 1486.
- Dreaming about fireworks means that you like to be the center of attention and are showing off to others. It also symbolizes enthusiasm and exhilaration.
- The fireworks were used to accompany many festivities, scare off evil spirits and promote prosperity.
- The largest firework rocket is 13kg and was produced and launched in Portugal in 2010.
- Queen Elizabeth was so fascinated with fireworks that she created an honorary title, "Fire Master of England" for the individual who created the best fireworks.
- The word for firework in Japanese, 'hanabi', which actually means "fire-flower.”
- Amédée-François Frézier published a "Treatise on Fireworks" in 1706, covering the recreational and ceremonial uses of fireworks. The book became a standard text for fireworks makers.
- A rocket can reach speeds of 150-miles-per-hour
- A sparkler burns at a temperature over 15 times the boiling point of water. Three sparklers burning together generate the same heat as a blowtorch. When your sparkler goes out, put it in a bucket of water.
- France uses fireworks to celebrate Bastille Day and celebrate storming the prison of Bastille.
- The record for the largest firework display consisted of 66,326 fireworks and was achieved in Portugal in 2006.
- Static electricity in synthetic clothing can set off firecrackers. People making firecrackers wear only cotton clothing while making firecrackers.
- Italy was the first country to truly master and experiment with fireworks in Europe. They were the first to use shells for firecrackers to be loaded into canons and shot into the air.
- Half of all firework injuries are to children under the age of 16.
- The biggest annual fireworks display event in Europe is the International Festival concert held in Edinburgh, Scotland, in which a million fireworks are set off in less than an hour.
- At first, fireworks were only orange and white. In the Middle Ages new colors were achieved by adding different salts. The hardest color to create is blue.