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Numbers in the News: Fireworks
Fireworks are a staple of Fourth of July celebrations. Discover some spectacular facts and figures about these colorful pyrotechnics.
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
$1 BILLION
The amount of money people in the U.S. spent on nearly 250 million pounds of fireworks in 2019
EDUARDO MUNOZ/REUTERS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
70,000
The number of fireworks set off during Macy’s 2019 Fourth of July display, one of the largest shows in the country
14,000
The estimated number of fireworks displays that take place every Fourth of July across the U.S.
10,000
The number of injuries caused by fireworks treated in U.S. emergency rooms in 2019
2,000 YEARS
How long ago fireworks were invented in China, by filling bamboo with gunpowder and metal shavings that sparkled when burned
THINK ABOUT IT: Fireworks are part of celebrations around the world, including Lunar New Year in parts of Asia, Bastille Day in France, and Diwali in India. Research one of these holidays to discover how and why fireworks are used.
SOURCES: AMERICAN PYROTECHNICS ASSOCIATION, GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS, CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION