Fireworks History The Fourth of July celebration started in 1777 in Philadelphia with speeches, parades, fireworks, and extra rum for the troops--a day of drinking and explosives. Fireworks were invented 3,000 years ago in China and were part of European celebrations by the 1600s. Eighteenth-century fireworks could last for hours, but there were no automatic lighting systems (like those used today), so there was a long wait between blasts. But fireworks are made with explosives and accidents happened. Houses were sometimes set on fire and it was not unusual for people to be killed or wounded at the displays.
