The "green men" were among the first European pyrotechnicians

The Ruggieri family of pyrotechnicians innovated on European fireworks displays

The Ruggieri family transformed fireworks from military to theatrical displays by focusing on artistry. Claude Ruggieri's knowledge of chemistry allowed him to produce vivid green fireworks, a first in Europe.

Learn more about the history of fireworks, which dates back to an accidental invention during an alchemist's quest for information about immortality.

Firework-related celebrations include an annual summer celebration in El Salvador, where residents throw kerosene-soaked balls to commemorate a 1658 volcanic eruption

Another memorable tradition takes place in Vrontados, Greece, with people in two rival churches firing bottle rockets at each other's bell towers in an event known as the Rocket War. Yet another tradition occurs in Tainan City, Taiwan, fifteen days into the Chinese lunar calendar, with celebrants donning protective gear and attempting to get hit by fireworks—a tradition dating back to the late 1800s when residents asked the god of war for help with a raging cholera epidemic, with a similar display.

The most fireworks launched from a pyrotechnics suit is 642

Frenchman Laurent Nat, a pyrotechnics artist and performer with over 10 years of experience, set the world record on June 13, 2014. The suit, inspired by clothes worn by professional firefighters, is made out of 100% cotton and incorporates stilts to allow fireworks to be fired in all directions.

See how fireworks are made and learn how metals like magnesium and copper are responsible for different colors.

See how fireworks are made and which metals are responsible for different colors

This roughly five-minute video breaks down details about how pyrotechnicians make fireworks, including that magnesium is responsible for white fireworks, copper salts for blue, and charcoal for orange.

What did people do before eyeglasses were invented?

An estimated two-thirds of the world's adults use a form of prescription glasses or contacts, proof spectacles were a godsend when they were invented in 1286 CE. But what did people do before that? Different tools were used for distinct vision problems, but some would use magnifying lenses, clear emeralds, and more. Watch this video for a historical explanation.

Why Men's Legs Were Everything

From codpieces to cotton hose, here's the surprisingly loaded history of men's legs, and why 18th-century Europe couldn't stop staring at them.

The true power of being a medieval fool

The stereotypical image of a court jester – their jagged, jingling tunics, donkey-eared hoods, and exaggerated expressions – belies their influence and power in medieval European courts. Jesters mocked their masters and communities through performances that could include witty ripostes, musical instruments, dance, juggling, and more. This gallery offers commentary on the fool’s role and power during the Middle Ages.

Humans have used bioluminescence as a means of military advantage

During World War I, the British Navy sank a German U-boat after spotting the blue light forming at the sides and in the wake of the boat. Jellyfish slime was applied to a Roman walking stick for nighttime guidance, while bioluminescent fungi in Indonesia fulfilled the same purpose.

Medieval European winters were colder than ours, but peasants stayed warm

Medieval winters were colder than ours today while the continent was mired in the so-called Little Ice Age. Without modern technologies, peasants survived with simple, sometimes genius, solutions, including central, chimney-less fireplaces (vented by small, draftless vents) and decorative handwarmers.

Before electric lights, Christmas trees were lit with real candles

The practice of lighting Christmas trees with electricity didn’t begin until the late 1800s. Before that, families used wax candles on branches—a dangerous tradition that originated in 16th-century Germany.

Why the Gunpowder Plot failed, and other questions answered by historians

The 1605 Gunpowder Plot aimed to blow up the English Parliament and King James VI and I. Guy Fawkes, often associated with the plot, was not the mastermind; Robert Catesby and Thomas Wintour led it. They selected Parliament as their target due to...

See unused gladiator helmets discovered in Pompeii

Early excavations at Pompeii uncovered pristine gladiator helmets and armor, showing no signs of combat wear, which were likely used only in ceremonial processions. Many are now displayed at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

Englishmen in the 17th century mixed their blood into wine to show devotion

In order to demonstrate their love for a woman, some young Englishmen would stab themselves in the arm and mix the blood into their wine. They'd then toast the object of their affection and drink to their honor.

When humans discovered fire

Fire has proven crucial for the development of human civilization, but there was a time when our hominin ancestors could not make effective use of it. This article traces the major milestones in humanity's journey with fire based on evidence from...

'Silent' fireworks have gained more interest in recent years as a quieter celebratory option.

The ancient Greeks and Romans viewed comets and meteors as divine omens

Both considered the appearance of a comet or its fragments as a precursor to significant events, such as the birth of a notable figure or the death of a ruler. One observed in 44 BCE was believed to be a sign of the deification of Julius Caesar after his assassination.

The first Super Bowl halftime show featured marching bands and two men on jetpacks

At Super Bowl I, the halftime show featured college marching bands, a rifle drill team, and two performers flying jetpacks, in an era before music stars and spectacle defined the break.

Early timekeeping tools included sundials, water clocks, and astrolabes

Astrolabes also provided a person's latitude based on the height of the stars in the sky, thus aiding in navigation. Incense and candle clocks relied on the constant burning rate of fire to track the passage of time based on premarked locations with equal-interval spacing.

Firework or sparkler burns, even if they cover a relatively small area of skin, can significantly affect our range of motion.

NHL players used to not wear helmets or masks

Until the 1970s, hockey goalies didn't wear masks to protect their faces with any regularity. Instead, they took pucks off their cheeks, foreheads, and mouths, resulting in serious scars. Any player who entered the league after June 1, 1979, was required to wear a helmet, but several players who'd started before then chose to continue playing without one.

During the Civil War, the US government printed paper money for the first time

Those original paper bills were called “greenbacks” or “demand notes.” Since then, paper money has evolved with different designs, names, and values. Today, it is solely issued by the Bureau of Engraving & Printing.

The concept of phantom limbs, the perception that amputated limbs are still present, dates back to a French military surgeon in the 16th century.

Metal fragments can create glowing rings when sand chips them off helicopter blades

The Kopp-Etchells effect—named after two soldiers who died in action in Afghanistan—may occur when kicked-up material shaves off fragments from a helicopter blade's abrasion strip. Due to a property called pyrophoricity, the fragments react with air and ignite, producing halos.

George Méliès' 'The Haunted Castle' is considered the first horror film

The 1896 film short uses a series of camera tricks to depict supernatural experiences, including a bird turning into a man and a woman being summoned from a smoking cauldron. Its subject matter and surprising visuals have led scholars to call it the first horror film.

Shrunken human heads were once a valuable commodity

In the Ecuadoran Amazon of the 1800s, shrunken human heads had spiritual significance. As outsiders became fascinated by the exotic practice, head shrinking became commercialized, and counterfeit shrunken heads were common. By the mid-1940s, shrunken heads could be traded for guns. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Poison ivy was sent to Europe in the 1600s as an exotic, ornamental oddity, where it was purposefully grown in the English royal gardens at Kew, the Faculty of Medicine in Paris, and a few other locations.

The Knights Templar were the first officially recognized Christian military order

The Knights Templar sought to protect Christian pilgrims and expand their religion’s influence through might. The warrior monk organization formed after the First Crusade and were named after the fallen First Temple of King Solomon, out of which they were based—leading to the name “Templars.” This article describes the rise and fall of the monastic order.

How one man placed the first short against the Dutch East India Company

Isaac Le Maire, a Dutch businessman and cofounder of the Dutch East India Company, is said to be history's first short seller, betting against the Dutch East India Company's stock price. Le Maire, who had been fired from the spice trading company over an unclear financial dispute, began spreading false rumours about the company to encourage people to sell their stock in order to tank its value.

The first horror movie is believed to be George Méliès' 1986 short 'The Haunted Castle,' which pioneered the use of special effects

The showgirl archetype arose in 19th-century France

The word first appeared in the mid-1700s to describe women behaving in a "showy" manner, but it wasn't until the late 1800s that the current definition for a performer became standardized, thanks to Parisian variety shows that often featured the high-kicking women.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

Graffiti dates back to at least ancient Pompeii, where citizens scrawled messages to one another on public walls

The Brothers Grimm were lawyers before they were storytellers, and became interested in fairy tales as they began investigating how rules and customs had been passed down through cultures.

Volcanic activity may have triggered the Black Death by spewing gases that led to crop failures in Europe, thus forcing the import of grain ships with plague-infested fleas.

After the Boston Tea Party, colonists switched to coffee, which became the main morning drink for revolutionaries.

Power lines are dotted with large, brightly colored balls to improve the visibility of these thin wires to helicopters and small planes and help prevent potential crashes.

Double world record holder Hunter Ewen helped conquer his fear of balloons, called globophobia, by training to win Guinness World Record titles for balloon inflation.

Many legends about George Washington, including his supposed wooden teeth and the story of cutting down the cherry tree, lack evidence.

For centuries, it was common to sleep in two shifts: a few hours at the beginning of the night, and a longer period beginning around midnight

When caught in the mouths of cardinal fish, seed shrimp release glowing, bioluminescent chemicals, which alert predators of the cardinal fish, prompting the shrimp's ejection.

Watch the cumbersome, but necessary, precautions healthcare workers must take to care for and protect themselves while caring for Ebola patients.

Sony set the standard for cylinder-shaped batteries when it repurposed manufacturing equipment used to make rolls of magnetic recording tape.

El Niño, Spanish for 'the boy,' was named after Jesus Christ because the phenomenon resembled the weather changes observed around Christmastime.

Long before Major League Baseball began allowing instant replay for balls and strikes, an umpire reluctantly used the technology to determine whether a hit was a home run, a move that inadvertently ushered in a new era for the sport.

Crows are believed to have intelligence on par with a seven-year-old child and demonstrate complex behaviors, from problem-solving with tools to recognizing human faces.

A 2019 Facebook event called on attendees to "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," resulting in countless memes, the creation of a music festival, and eventually the arrests of those who did try to approach the area.

Visualize the path of every solar eclipse from 1900 to 2099 and see what each looks like when observed from different locations on Earth.

Watch this video that uses Lego bricks to explain how venture capital works.