Fireworks were invented in China about a thousand years ago. BBC News reported in 2005 that a Chinese document from around 1040 gave instructions for wrapping gunpowder in paper to make a "fire pill" that made a loud bang when lit. It was apparently used to scare off evil spirits.

A common misconception is that fireworks became associated with the Fourth of July in the United States as a result of the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

Although it's true that Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that became our national anthem after observing that event, fireworks had already been associated with Independence Day for more than 30 years, and we have our founding fathers to thank.

Research by James Heintze of American University in Washington, D.C., shows that "Congress led the way for the encouragement of fireworks on the Fourth of July by authorizing a display on July 4, 1777, in Philadelphia, a year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence."

The founding fathers did NOT have this in mind, no matter what state folks lived in.

According to Heintze's research, there was a large exhibition of fireworks near what is now Independence Mall, starting and finishing with 13 rockets to symbolize the original states of the union.

That same night, Boston also was lit up by a fireworks display. In the coming years, more cities began to take up the embryonic tradition: Worcester, Mass., in 1779 and Charleston, S.C., in 1783.

We still gather on lawns, in parks, on boats, on balconies, etc., to see the night sky light up in a celebration of the birth of our nation. But, we show our patriotism in plenty of other ways, too.

Here's a gallery of patriotic pride in New Jersey, whether on the Fourth of July or any other time of the year. Be sure to click on the captions to learn more about these wonderful photos.

Coming soon: crimes and mysteries. There have been infamous crimes in New Jersey as well as lesser-known mysteries, some still unsolved. If you have photos taken before 1986 of events and people related to some of these mysteries you'd like to share we'd love to see them and possibly use them in a gallery or Glimpse of History. Email your jpgs to ghatala@starledger.com.