Even though the answer looks pretty straight forward, the lighter was actually invented before the match was.
In fact, lighters were used since the 17th century. Of course, they didn’t have the modern look we have nowadays; they were mostly converted flintlock pistols that used gunpowder. In 1823 though, a German chemist named Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner created the first lighter, which was the predecessor of the modern lighter we use today. His discovery was known as the Döbereiner’s lamp:
Friction matches on the other hand, were invented 3 years later, in 1826 by an English man named John Walker. He named them Congreves in honor of the rocket pioneer and inventor, Sir William Congreve. Here’s a tin of the “Congreves” matchbox:
Now you know!
If you like what you read, then you will definitely love this one: This Is How Water Balloons Were Invented
Photos: Free-Photos / Pixabay, Christian Allard / StockSnap
