Today, the fireworks industry is big business with over 940 million dollars in sales annually. In the U.S. the largest consumer of fireworks is Disney who put on nearly nightly pyrotechnic displays at each of their theme parks.
The origins of fireworks dates back to China in the second-century BC, as the the oldest and simplest form of a rocket. The Chinese were also the inventors of gunpowder that was used to propel the early rockets/fireworks to greater heights and distances. While the Chinese did use their rockets for ceremonial displays, their primary purpose was use as weapons.
By the 16th century rockets were no longer used for war, however, their use for pyrotechnical reasons was increasing. Italians scientists invented aerial shells with bursts of gold and silver sparks. A German fireworks maker, Johann Schmidlap, invented the "step rocket," a multi-staged vehicle for lifting fireworks to higher altitudes. A large sky rocket (first stage) carried a smaller sky rocket (second stage). When the large rocket burned out, the smaller one continued to a higher altitude before showering the sky with glowing cinders.
By 1830, Italian pyrotechnicians had advanced the science of fireworks further allowing for red, green, blue and yellow colored displays.
In 1777, the first American Independence Day was celebrated with fireworks, one year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the tradition has never stopped since.
