Who Invented Matches?
There is some evidence that the ancient Chinese used sulfur matches as early as the 6th century. The name of the inventor is still not known but the historical evidence is credible. In spite of this, an English chemist, John Walker, is usually credited as the inventor of friction matches. He stumbled upon them in 1826 while he was working in his laboratory. But the twist to the story is – the patent was issued in the name of Samuel Jones, an acquaintance of the Walker! The matches were called lucifers in those days. Lucifer is a Latin word which means ‘a light bearer’.
The early matches were not reliable. They burnt unsteadily and violently and their odor was awful. A French inventor, Charles Sauria, improved these early matches. His work was completed by 1831 but he could never patent his product for lack of money. As a result, a German manufacturer, Jakob Friedrich Kemmerer, who, a year later started mass producing matches, is sometimes credited as the inventor of matchsticks.
The safety matches, which are commonly used nowadays, were invented by Gustaf Erik Pasch, a Swedish inventor in 1844. They are called safety matches because they don’t just burn up on striking any surface. This was followed by the invention of matchboxes in the 1890s by an American inventor Joshua Pusey.
There are also ‘storm matches’ and ‘Bengal matches’ in use which are for emergency purposes. They are specially designed matches which are water proof and the chemicals used in them help them keep burning even in face of strong winds. They are usually red or green in color and are used as an SOS sign or to light up an area in an emergency.
Category: Inventions