Year 1000
Explosives were first used in India, China and the Middle East sometimes as a weapon but more often as celebratory fireworks. Rockets were probably invented in China around the year 1000 and were used to send up firecrackers to create breathtaking displays of fire and light in the sky. However, the Chinese were ingenious at developing sophisticated weaponry such as the crossbow, and shortly after the invention of the rocket, the Chinese discovered that they could use it as a weapon against their Mongol enemies to the north.