Fiery lights

Press, 3 November 1981, Page 14

Fiery lights

Nearly all the fireworks you set off on Guy Fawkes’ night were invented in the 1700 s. But the story of'fireworks goes much farther back in history. The famous explorer, Marco Polo, who travelled to China in the thirteenth century, describes how the Chinese let off fireworks. And many people believe that the Chinese and the Indians knew about fireworks several hundred years before that. In Europe, from the seventeenth century onwards, fire-

work displays were used to mark great events suct> as coronations, royal marriages, and peace celebrations. In 1865 a long series of firework displays were started at the Crystal Palace in London, England. These displays went on until the Crystal Palace was burned down in 1936. But perhaps the most wonderful display of all took place over the Thames River, in London, in 1946, to celebrate the end of the Second World War. But do you know how

fireworks work? Most fireworks have gunpowder in them. The gunpowder used for fireworks is a mixture of powders, often saltpetre, sulphur, charcoal, and some other substances to make the flame or sparks, An interesting thing about gunpowder is that it can burn without any air. Nearly everything needs the oxygen in the air to make it burn, Gunpowder can burn without air because the saltpetre in it makes its own oxygen when it is heated.