We all love fireworks (well, except cats and dogs) but we know little about them. Here are 10 fascinating facts you might not have known about fireworks, covering everything from how they work to where they came from…

– Fireworks are thought to come from China, over 2,000 years ago. The very earliest records of fireworks come from 7^th century China, a country which is still the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter of fireworks products.

– In the UK, the first recorded use of fireworks at a celebration was at the wedding of King Henry VII in 1486. At the time, fireworks would have been an exotic and quite magical treat from Asia, making them the perfect display of extravagance for the wedding of a monarch.

– Rockets can reach speeds of 150mph. This is one of the reasons why rockets are known as the king of fireworks, along with the incredible sound. With rockets travelling this fast, make sure you have a fireworks professional setting yours off – you really wouldn’t want one mis-firing or travelling sideways.

– Fireworks can travel as high as 200m up in the air. This is why you can see fireworks displays for miles around, and the impressive height is what makes displays such a spectacle as they light up the night sky.

– You see fireworks before you hear them. The reason you see the explosion, colours and lights before hearing the boom or crackle of a firework is because light travels faster than sound, so it takes a tiny bit longer for the sound to reach your ears. If you really want to get into it, light travels at 671 million mph while sound travels at a mere 761 mph.

– Sparklers can get five times as hot as cooking oil. This fact should drive home the message that fireworks aren’t toys, and they can be very dangerous if safety advice isn’t followed. This is particularly the case with sparklers, which are most commonly used by children on Bonfire Night. Enjoy your sparklers, but remember just how hot they can get!

– Most firework-related injuries happen at family parties and private events. This just shows how important it is to follow safety rules and perhaps call in a professional fireworks display organiser to plan your private event. The good news is that fireworks generally are many times safer now than they used to be, and it’s all thanks to British Standard safety certification (this is what you should be looking out for when buying fireworks).

– In Japanese, the word for firework means ‘fire-flower’. Given the beautiful flower or fountain shape of fireworks, as they explode from the centre and shoot sparks out in all directions, this name, ‘Hanabi’ in Japanese, is definitely appropriate.

– Queen Elizabeth I apparently liked fireworks so much that she appointed an official ‘Fire Master of England’ to come up with the most exciting and impressive fireworks. Now that sounds like a fun (if not a bit dangerous) position!

– Fireworks are created by chemical reactions. When a firework is lit, this releases an oxidiser which breaks the chemical bonds in the fuel, which releases energy and the chemical reaction creates the amazing effects of the firework.