History
Chinese alchemists invented gunpowder while trying to brew a potion for eternal life
Tang dynasty alchemists searching for an elixir of immortality around the 9th century mixed sulfur, charcoal and saltpeter — and got a mixture that scorched and occasionally exploded instead. Early texts warned alchemists against combining the ingredients, describing burned hands and houses. What began as a failed medicine became the basis for fireworks, and eventually for warfare.