15th century: Rockets were introduced to Europe by the Arabs. European engineers quickly adopted and improved upon the Chinese design, developing rockets for both military and civilian use.
17th century: Rockets were used extensively in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). During this time, military engineers began experimenting with multi-stage rockets and rocket-propelled bombs.
18th century: Rockets continued to be used for military purposes throughout the 18th century. In addition, rockets were also used for civilian applications, such as fireworks and mail delivery.
19th century: The 19th century saw a significant increase in rocket technology. In 1812, the British inventor William Hale developed a solid-fuel rocket that could be used for military purposes. In 1844, the American inventor Robert Goddard developed the first liquid-fuel rocket. Liquid-fuel rockets were much more powerful than solid-fuel rockets and opened up new possibilities for rocketry.
20th century: The 20th century saw the development and use of rockets for a variety of purposes, including space exploration, military applications, and satellite communication. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. In 1961, the United States launched Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut into space. In 1969, the United States successfully landed a man on the moon. Today, rockets are used for a variety of purposes, including space exploration, military applications, satellite communication, and Earth observation.
21st century: The 21st century has seen continued development and use of rockets. In 2010, the SpaceX Falcon 9 became the first privately-developed rocket to reach orbit. In 2015, the Blue Origin New Shepard became the first reusable suborbital rocket to reach space. In 2018, the SpaceX Falcon Heavy became the most powerful operational rocket in the world.
Today, rockets are an integral part of our world and are used for a wide variety of purposes, including space exploration, military applications, satellite communication, and Earth observation.