1000 Inventions and Discoveries – Use of fire (c1,400,000BC)
People discovered the value of fire long before they found out how to make it.
Fires can be started naturally by friction, lightning, or sunlight striking through a drop of water. The first people to use fire simply kept these natural flames going.
They used fire for warmth and to cook food. Better still, fire could be used to clear away bushes and trees so that the grass grew thicker, attracting animals for people to catch and eat.