Happy Birthday, Dynamite: Interesting Facts About the Explosive Material

Today (May 7), marks the 150th anniversary of one of Alfred Nobel's patents for dynamite,

which was first patented in 1867. The explosive forever reshaped the world, revolutionizing warfare and construction, to the lifelong chagrin of its inventor Nobel. From its origins to its use in modern warfare to its eventual fate, here are some facts about the explosive. Safer explosive Though Nobel's invention was huge, it wasn't the first explosive created. Gunpowder was invented in China in the ninth century A.D., and had been used in European warfare since the 1200s. And in 1846, an Italian man, Ascanio Sobrero, had invented the highly volatile explosive nitroglycerin, according to the University of Bristol chemistry website. The process of making it was fairly simple: It involved adding glycerin to a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid compounds. But nitroglycerin had a pesky habit: When it was impure it could explode without warning, and the slightest jostle could cause explosions as well, according to the University of Bristol. [Mad Genius: 10 Odd Tales About Famous Scientists]           https://www.livescience.com/59000-interesting-facts-about-dynamite.html