Matches or a lighter?

appears lighter still ahead of the birth of today's matches. The first lighter, with all its inherent properties, is considered to Flint Dobereiner, invented in 1823 by Johann Wolfgang Dobereiner. This "lighter" was based on chemical processes. Buck Flint provide hydrogen evolution (interaction of sulfuric acid and zinc), and spongy platinum serves as a catalyst for the fire. Variants of matches was, of course, a few. Every scientist since ancient China, for it was his idea. However, the real "strike sharply" matches appeared only 3 years after the appearance of the lighter. Their inventor was John Walker. The length of the match, he invented, was 91cm, but from what she was made (the smell was not pleasant), that's another story.

Source: mirfactov.com/