The cookie settings on this website are set to 'allow all cookies' to give you the very best experience. Please click Accept Cookies to continue to use the site.

10 Fascinating Facts about Fireworks

10 Fascinating Facts about Fireworks

  •  Fireworks were first introduced to Britain by King Henry VII at his wedding in 1486. The Tudors loved fireworks so much that Elizabeth I even appointed an official 'Fire Master of England'.

  • Up until 1959 it was illegal NOT to celebrate Bonfire Night.
  • Get this, if you've ever had a dream about fireworks, it is likely that you love being the centre of attention and like to show off. It also symbolises exhilaration and enthusiasm.
  • A rocket can reach speeds of up to 150mph or even faster! A shell can reach heights of up to 200 metres.
  • A firework is just a chemical reaction. Colours are created by mixing certain chemicals together. The hardest colour to create is blue.
  • The largest firework ever fired was a shell weighing a huge 420kg with a diameter of 120 metres. The shell required a 12 metre long mortar tube to be fired.
  • A festival in Taiwan called the Yanshui Beehive festival is a very dangerous place to be. The festival involves thousands of fireworks being launched into crowds of people being protected by only a helmet, scarf, gloves and goggles.

  • A firework rocket produced and fired in Portugal is known to be the largest rocket ever made. The rocket weighed 13kg!
  • The first fireworks ever made were apparently made from long pieces of bamboo stuffed with gunpowder. These bamboo rockets were made by the Chinese and used to scare away evil spirits over 2000 years ago.
  • The world record for the most rockets fired in 30 seconds is held by a company called Pyroworks International. Over 125,800 rockets were fired from the Philippines back in 2010.

11th Apr 2017 Antony Green

Recent Posts