You may not see the fireworks, but you can hear them. On the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve, it’s common to hear the loud bang of fireworks and see colorful fireworks explode into the sky and linger there for a while.
From sparklers to romantic candles, fireworks have long been a celebratory fixture in the United States and other countries, helping to mark national holidays, sporting events and more.
“Fireworks have become a global phenomenon and are almost an accepted way of celebrating major events,” says John Withington, author of the upcoming book “Fireworks: From the Origin to the Modern Era.”
But the elaborate, computer-controlled fireworks of modern fireworks shows are a far cry from fireworks’ simpler beginnings in ancient China.
Fireworks originated in ancient China and spread to the West.
One theory is that someone living in China around the 1st century BCE threw bamboo into a fire, which caused it to explode with a bang. Bamboo stalks contain pockets of air that expand and explode at high temperatures. Chinese travelers brought bamboo with them on their journeys in case they needed to make a loud noise to scare off wild animals, Withington said.
The next big advancement came around the 9th century with the invention of gunpowder. Chinese manufacturers packed bamboo stalks with gunpowder to create what were likely the world’s first artificial fireworks, and later began using paper tubes, according to History.com. These were used to ward off evil spirits and celebrate births and weddings, according to the Smithsonian Institution.
By the 12th century, Chinese imperial courts were setting off fireworks for entertainment, Withington said, and primitive fireworks made their way to Europe around the 14th century, when Italian artists built stage-like devices called “machines” to set off fireworks.
Advances in chemistry made fireworks more complicated: In the 19th century, potassium chlorate was used to give fireworks bright colors like red and green, and to make them more bright, Withington said.
Technological innovations over the years have led to some intriguing suggestions that fireworks might help solve modern problems: Whalers experimented with rocket-powered harpoons in the late 1800s, and inventor Gerhard Zucker tried to use firework rockets to deliver mail in the 1930s.
4th of July Traditions
Europeans who traveled to the Americas brought fireworks with them, and legend has it that Captain John Smith, who was rescued by Pocahontas, may have set off fireworks at Jamestown in 1608.
On July 3, 1776, the day after the Continental Congress voted for independence from Great Britain, John Adams wrote a letter to his wife Abigail, envisioning future celebrations of the anniversary. (Though the Congress voted in favor of the Declaration of Independence on the 2nd, it wasn’t until the 4th that it was approved, signed, and printed.) Adams suggested that these celebrations include “illuminations,” or fireworks.
“It should be solemnly celebrated from one end of this continent to the other, from this time and forevermore, with great parades, shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations,” Adams wrote.
The following year, Philadelphia held one of its first organized Fourth of July celebrations, complete with fireworks: “The tolling of the bells closed the evening, and at night a magnificent display of fireworks (which began and ended with 13 rockets) was displayed on the Commons, beautifully lighting up the city,” according to an article in the Pennsylvania Evening Post.
But to critics, fireworks are not just a riot of excitement, they’re also deadly: On Independence Day in 1903, more than 460 people died in firework accidents, Withington said.
In a letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer that year, Pennsylvania lawyer Charles Pennypacker suggested that Americans celebrate the holiday “quietly and wholesomely,” taking trolley rides, sitting under a tree and baking cakes.
Some people weren’t so impressed: “On July 3, 1904, the day before Independence Day, local youths gathered outside his house, setting off fireworks and causing mayhem,” Withington says.
Still, the “safe and sane” movement gained momentum among city officials hoping to make Fourth of July celebrations more moderate: Chicago’s mayor banned fireworks, and Santa Fe held a beauty contest in place of its usual celebration, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
Today’s Fireworks
Interest in fireworks has never waned, and they can still be enjoyed in almost every part of the United States.
According to the American Fireworks Association (APA), Massachusetts is the only state that bans all forms of consumer fireworks. All other states and the District of Columbia allow the sale of some or all types of fireworks.
According to the APA, fireworks remain popular: Industry figures show consumers bought £246.5 million of fireworks last year, up from £436.4 million the year before.
But they still pose a safety risk to commercial fireworks professionals and those who light firecrackers occasionally as a hobby.
A recent report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that 9,700 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries last year, including eight deaths, and two-thirds of those injuries occurred in the weeks surrounding the Fourth of July.
But safety experts say there are some best practices to enjoy fireworks without getting hurt, including lighting them outdoors, never holding lit fireworks in your hands and not using fireworks when under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Fireworks can produce particulate matter and other pollutants that pose risks to human health, and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, harming the environment, according to KCUR.
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