Making gunpowder is a bit like cooking, except more explosive. Gunpowder makers in the 14th and 15th centuries used black powder brought to Europe from China, then mixed its three ingredients together ...

Gunpowder—as opposed to modern smokeless powder—isn’t used much these days in current weaponry, although it’s still useful for historical weapons and remains popular for fireworks and other ...

First used for battle in China in about 900 A.D., gunpowder spread throughout Eurasia by the end of the 13th century, eventually revolutionizing warfare as a propellant in firearms and artillery.