This timeline lists the development of explosives and related events.
Timeline Year(s) EventSource1st millenniumGunpowder, the first explosive, is developed. 1040–1044The book Wujing Zongyao contains three formulas for gunpowder, the first such reference.1267Roger Bacon's Opus Majus contains the first European reference to gunpowder.1659Ammonium nitrate is first synthesized by Johann Rudolf Glauber; it was not used as an explosive until World War I.1745William Watson shows that an electric spark can ignite gunpowder, demonstrating the first detonator.1845Nitrocellulose is invented by Christian Schoenbein. 1846 Nitroglycerin is invented by Ascanio Sobrero. It is the first practical explosive stronger than gunpowder.1863TNT is invented by Julius Wilbrand, but used only as a yellow dye.Sep 3, 1864A nitroglycerin explosion at Immanuel Nobel's factory kills Alfred Nobel's youngest brother Emil Oskar Nobel and five other factory workers.Nov 28, 1864Alfred Nobel establishes his first company, , the first commercial manufacturer of nitroglycerin.1865Alfred Nobel develops a detonator using mercury fulminate in a copper capsule to detonate nitroglycerin. 1866 Dynamite is invented by Alfred Nobel by mixing nitroglycerin with silica. It is the first safely manageable explosive stronger than gunpowder.1867The use of ammonium nitrate in explosives is patented in Sweden.1875Gelignite, the first plastic explosive, is invented by Alfred Nobel. 1884 Paul Marie Eugène Vieille creates Poudre B, the first practical smokeless powder.1891The explosive properties of TNT are discovered by Carl Häussermann.1894PETN is patented by the 1898RDX is invented by Georg Friedrich Henning, but not used until World War II.1906Dunnite is invented by US Army Major Beverly W. Dunn.1908The first detonating cord, a lead tube filled with TNT, is patented in France.Dec 6, 1917Halifax Explosion: A cargo of TNT, picric acid, benzol, and guncotton aboard a ship explodes after a collision, killing at least 1,782 people. It was the largest artificial explosion at the time.Apr 16, 1947Texas City disaster: 2,100 metric tons of ammonium nitrate aboard a docked ship explode, ultimately killing at least 581 people, the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history.1952Semtex, a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and PETN, is invented by Stanislav Brebera.1955ANFO is developed, consisting of 94% ammonium nitrate.1956C-4 is developed as part of the Composition C family of plastic explosives; it contains 91% RDX.Aug 4, 2020Beirut explosion: A large amount of ammonium nitrate explodes, causing at least 218 deaths.
See also
History of gunpowder Timeline of the gunpowder age Largest artificial non-nuclear explosions List of ammonium nitrate disasters List of explosives used during World War II
References
Sources