Gunpowder timeline

By SRR
  • 799

    Chinese Alchemists seek eternal life

    Chinese Alchemists seek eternal life
    They mix things together hoping to achieve immortality potions
  • 800

    Black powder invented

    Black powder invented
    A highly unstable mix of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrite was combined by Chinese alchemists seeking immortality.
  • 800

    Firecrackers

    Firecrackers
    Firecrackers were the only known use of gunpowder until the 900s. The earliest firecrackers were bamboo sticks roasted on fires.
  • 899

    Gunpowder used to scare enemies

    Gunpowder used to scare enemies
    Gunpowder and firecrackers were used to scare and confuse enemies. The Chinese also believed that firecrackers scared away evil spirits. (Hence why they used it against enemies)
  • 900

    First use in battle

    First use in battle
    The first use of weaponized gunpowder was in 900 in the form of small bombs
  • 919

    Gunpowder slowmatch gun

    Gunpowder slowmatch gun
    The gunpowder slow match gun is a primitive form of musket, consisting of a metal pipe tapered at the end that holds gunpowder, with a hole for a match that is lit that ignites the powder shooting the bullet.
  • 960

    Fire/Gunpowder arrows invented

    Fire/Gunpowder arrows invented
    The so-called "Fire lances" were very effective and used extensively up until the 17th century.
  • 1000

    Gunpowder proves its worth

    Gunpowder proves its worth
    Gunpowder and caltrops presented to Song province court, proving their worth and effectiveness to the government.
  • 1070

    Private gunpowder trade banned (Song dynasty)

    Private gunpowder trade banned (Song dynasty)
    Gunpowder was banned for private trade for people of the Liao and Western Xia regions.
  • 1100

    First recorded use of gunpowder fireworks

    First recorded use of gunpowder fireworks
    Gunpowder fireworks and bombs used to impress the Chinese emperor. Considered to be the first historical record of gunpowder fireworks,
  • 1127

    "Molten Metal Bombs"

    "Molten Metal Bombs"
    "Molten Metal Bombs" were first used by Song dynasty troops invading the city of Kaifeng in the Jin dynasty.
  • 1128

    Earliest depiction of cannon

    Earliest depiction of cannon
    The earliest depiction of a cannon was at the Dazu Rock Carvings, which shows a gourd-shaped cannon with the flames coming out.
  • 1129

    Gunpowder Warships

    Gunpowder Warships
    For the first time, Song dynasty warships are outfitted with gunpowder weapons such as trebuchets with thunderclap bombs, and more fire arrows.
  • 1227

    First known cannon

    First known cannon
    First known cannon, the Wuwei bronze cannon was excavated in 1980s China in the Western Xia reason and has been dated by historians back to 1227.
  • 1240

    Middle east acquires knowledge of gunpowder

    Middle east acquires knowledge of gunpowder
    The knowledge of gunpowder spreads through the silk road.
  • 1277

    The first suicide bombing

    The first suicide bombing
    A garrison of Song dynasty soldiers acquires a large gunpowder bomb and sets it off, killing themselves.
  • 1280

    "Eruptor" cannon invented.

    "Eruptor" cannon invented.
    The "eruptor" cannon is essentially just a shotgun cannon. It was invented in 1280
  • 1280

    Europe gets gunpowder

    Europe gets gunpowder
    Europe acquires the recipes and information of gunpowder and bombs.
  • 1330

    First mentions of cannons in Europe

    First mentions of cannons in Europe
    The first depictions of cannons from drawings and textual sources date back to 1330, from Sweden and Spain. (The Loshult gun is one of the first cannons in Europe, dated to 1330s Sweden.)
  • 1370

    Stone to Iron cannonballs

    Stone to Iron cannonballs
    "Round shot" as cannonballs are known, began their transition from stone to metal in China, 1370, under the rule of the Ming Dynasty.
  • 1451

    New rocket launchers

    New rocket launchers
    The "Munjong Hwacha" is produced in Korea. It consists of a block of wood with holes for rocket arrows, that can be lit all at the same time, which would send a volley of explosive arrows towards the enemy.
  • 1516

    Matchlocks appear in Asia

    Matchlocks appear in Asia
    The first match locked early rifles appeared in Asia after Vietnamese soldiers developed then. The matchlock mechanism is a mechanism that allows the soldier to aim while firing, instead of having to focus on holding and using the match.

  • The bayonet

    The bayonet
    Ming dynasty soldiers are issued the barrel plug bayonet, the first of its kind.

  • History continues and leaves Asia behind

    History continues and leaves Asia behind
    Firearms and gunpowder history continues as China fades into the background after the collapse of the Ming dynasty in 1644, leaving the European theatre the hub of gunpowder invention.

  • we do this project, here are the sources

    http://fourriverscharter.org/projects/Inventions/pages/china_gunpowder.htm
    https://epicfireworks.com/the-evolution-of-fireworks
    https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/festivals/chinese-new-year-firecrackers.htm
    http://www.timelineindex.com/content/view/1119
    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Powder-1.JPG
    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ming_caltrop_(Great_Wall_Museum).jpg
    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ming_caltrop_(Great_Wall_Museum).jpg

  • More sources

    http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/explosive-find-excavated-bomb-suggests-early-start-for-artillery-a-769016.html
    https://www.revolvy.com/page/Hand%20cannon
    https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/camel
    https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/08/02/surviving-examples-of-hand-cannon-one-of-the-earliest-forms-of-firearm-and-possibly-the-oldest-type-of-small-arms/