About us

Since 1952 – Black Cat is the Best You Can Get!

Black Cat® continues the tradition of celebrating with fireworks that started in China several millennia ago.  Around 200 B.C., people began roasting bamboo stalks until the air inside the hollow stalks would get hot enough to sizzle and explode.  That is why the Chinese term for firecrackers means “exploding bamboo.”

As gunpowder and fireworks spread from China to Europe over the Silk Road, fireworks began to become part of official celebrations, including the annual displays at Castello Sant’Angelo in Rome to the coronation of Anne Boleyn as Queen of England in 15331.  Henry VII celebrated with a magnificent display at his wedding in 1486, there were regular displays at the Palace of Versailles in Paris, and Peter the Great of Russia sponsored a marathon 5-hour display for his son’s birth2.

In the US, the first July 4th celebration happened during the Revolutionary War.  From that time, fireworks have become synonymous with celebrating our country’s Independence Day.  Black Cat is proud to be a part of this important and fun American tradition.

Black Cat® started in the US in the 1940’s and registered with the US Patent & Trademark Office in 1952.  Black Cat® is the oldest registered consumer fireworks brand in the US, and is one of the most recognized fireworks brands.  From 1952 to the present, Black Cat® remains “The Best You Can Get” in consumer fireworks!

1 Time.com, “How Fireworks Became a Fourth of July Tradition”

2 History.com, “Fireworks’ Vibrant History”