Canada Day is the biggest day of the year for fireworks – at least in Canada. Many of us will head out to watch the colourful, exploding displays in the sky this long weekend, but did you know who to credit for the beautiful demonstrations?
Fireworks have a long history. It’s believed that it originated in China around 200 BCE when they discovered that dried bamboo exploded when heated. It’s believed that they would use the mini explosions to frighten off mountain men or even evil spirits.
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According to the Smithsonian, between 600 and 900 BCE, Chinese alchemists stumbled upon the recipe for gunpowder (it’s believed while looking for an elixir for immortality): saltpeter, or potassium nitrate, sulfur and charcoal.
Now that they had the recipe for what ended up being gunpowder, they stuffed it into bamboo shoots where they began to use it as weaponry. They would shoot arrows at their enemies producing a rain of fire. By 1046, the Chinese began to use the gunpowder in catapults. It’s believed that explorer Marco Polo brought fireworks to Europe.
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Eventually, people began to use fireworks for peaceful and playful purposes throughout Europe. There were even fireworks schools during the Renaissance, particularly in Italy. And it’s the Italians who made the advances that we see today.
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In the 1830s, the aerial shell used to launch fireworks into the sky was invented by Italian pyrotechnicians. The shell is shaped like an ice cream cone, with the fuel in the bottom of the cone and the scoop containing the chemicals that produce the various colours as well as the charge. The Italians are also credited with discovering that different colours can be created by mixing different minerals: copper produces blue, strontium and lithium produce red, calcium produces orange, barium produces green and titanium and magnesium burn white.
China continues to export more fireworks than any other country in the world.
And, while many of us “ooh” and “ahh” over the colourful displays, the fact is fireworks are harmful to our environment, with poisonous chemicals like perchlorates and other pollutants being released into the atmosphere. However, over the years, efforts to produce more environmentally friendly fireworks have made great advancements.
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