Nov 11, 2007 12:09 am US/Pacific
Fireworks Trivia
Fireworks have been a part of celebrations worldwide for centuries. Here's a quick look at some fireworks trivia.
- Placing
gun powder into bamboo stalks and then throwing them onto a fire to be
ignited produced a louder and more powerful bang; hence the firecracker
was born.
- According to tradition, Marco Polo brought this technology back to Europe.
- At religious festivals Italians made plaster figures that spewed fireworks from their eyes and mouths.
- Settlers brought fireworks to the U.S. during 1600s.
- Captain
John Smith set off fireworks in Jamestown in 1608, enjoying a bit of
English popular entertainment and impressing Native Americans.
- Fireworks
became very popular in Great Britain during the reign of Queen
Elizabeth I. William Shakespeare mentions fireworks in his works, and
fireworks were so much enjoyed by the Queen herself that she created a
"Fire Master of England." King James II was so pleased with the
fireworks display that celebrated his coronation that he knighted his
Fire Master. The multi-hued displays we know now began in
the 1830s, when Italians added trace amounts of metals that burn at
high temperatures, creating beautiful colors.
- In 1996, a string of firecrackers were lit that lasted 22 hours for the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong.
- Static
electricity in synthetic clothing can ignite fireworks. Those who make
fireworks wear cotton all the way down to their underwear.
- More than 40 percent of the injuries happen to children 15 and younger.
- Most fireworks injuries are caused by firecrackers, bottle rockets and homemade explosives, with bottle rockets accounting for the majority of eye injuries
- In 1997, the United States Fire Administration reported that the total dollar loss value of fireworks-related fires was $5.4 million.
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