13. Matches
Before the match was invented, starting a fire meant working with flint and steel. In 1826, chemist John Walker accidentally scraped a stick coated with dried chemicals across his hearth and realized he was onto something when it burst into flames. He began packaging and selling “Friction Lights” in 1827 but chose not to patent them. A competitor did, selling the coated sticks in a small box with a strip of sandpaper attached. They came to be known as “Lucifers” for their resemblance to that fiery angel and the flames he represented
