Firework celebrations go back to 1000 A.D. China, where the firework was developed from military rockets and explosive missiles. The use of fireworks to celebrate military victories spread to Europe during the Middle Ages and persist to this day.1 The colonists brought the tradition to America and since 1777, pyrotechnics have been used to commemorate the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The first organized celebration was held in Philadelphia in 1777 and resembled contemporary celebrations. During the celebration, cannons were fired, one round for each state in the union. There was ringing of bells, a dinner, music, toasts, a parade, fireworks, and draping of ships in the harbor with the colors of the American flag.2 Have a happy 4th of July!
1) "Independence Day." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 3 July 2008. http://search.eb.com/.
2) Heintze, James R. "A Chronology of Notable Fourth of July Celebration Occurrences." Fourth of July Celebrations Database. American University. 3 July 2008. http://www.american.edu/heintze/fourth.htm#Notable.
* Flora, Jim. The Day the Cow Sneezed. Harcourt Brace: New York, 1957.
