These Fireworks Facts Are So Cool; You’ll Want to Tell Everyone

As you’ve leaned back to enjoy a dazzling fireworks display, have you ever wondered how they happened and how they came about? Wonder no more; we’re about to blow your mind with some amazing facts about your favorite controlled aerial explosions!

10 Cool Facts About Fireworks

1. Fireworks are ancient – Those bright explosions you see in the sky on New Year’s Eve and the 4th of July were first discovered over 2,000 years ago by a Chinese cook. It was entirely by accident, too. He inadvertently mixed sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter and made gunpowder. When the mixture’s explosive qualities became obvious, it was stuffed into bamboo pieces and thrown onto a roaring fire. The result? Bang!
2. Fireworks traveled the world – While fireworks may have been invented in China, they quickly traveled the world as visitors to China took them back to their home countries. One famous traveler was Marco Polo, who visited China in 1292. He took fireworks back to Europe with him, where they quickly became popular at royal celebrations.
3. Colorful chemistry – Did you know that fireworks get their bright colors from metal salts? Metal salts burn in various colors and were added to fireworks to create bright lights in the night sky.
4. Shaping the displays – In addition to color, fireworks can also create impressive shapes like hearts, stars, or even words. It is achieved by arranging gunpower pellets in a very specific way inside the firework shell. They burst into the designed shapes when ignited.
5. Largest display in history – Dubai holds the distinction of setting off the world’s largest fireworks display in 2014. Nearly half a million individual fireworks were sent aloft in just 6 minutes.
6. Turn down the volume – while some spectators appreciate the loud booms and afterburner sizzle of a great fireworks display, quiet fireworks are becoming increasingly popular. Anxious dogs are one of the main reasons people complain about fireworks noise, so that’s most likely one of the contributing factors to their popularity.
7. Environmentally-friendly fireworks – This is a new breed of fireworks that has come on the scene in recent years. “Green” fireworks create less smoke and use nitrogen-based fuels, resulting in fewer harmful emissions.
8. Largest single firework – In 2020 at the Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival, a lone firework weighing a massive 2,797pounds was set alight, resulting in a burst over 2,000 feet wide.
9. Behind the scenes – Skilled pyrotechnicians are behind every firework display you’ve ever seen. It takes months to create and plan a fireworks display.
10. Tinsel Town fireworks displays – Hollywood is very familiar with the magic of fireworks and often uses them to enhance special effects.

Now you know some of the history and artistry behind all those spectacular fireworks displays and can appreciate the talented pyrotechnicians who created them. Create your own show by shopping at Sky King Fireworks today!

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