Recent discoveries show that humankind has known fire since around 750,000 years ago. Since then Fire has played a central role in the process of human race and the development of civilization, traditions and industry. The development of the lighter especially reflects the process of civilization. From primitive fire pots and bows to seventeenth-century tinderboxes as well as battery-operated; the lighter has come a long way. The development of the lighter has reflected technological advances and cultural trends worldwide. The forerunner of the modern lighter was the flintlock pistol, which was based on the Stone Age way of igniting combustible material - striking flint against iron. More modern lighters, using flint to ignite gasoline or other flammable liquid, appeared in the 1800s. In 1911, the automatic lighter was introduced. It ignited at the push of a button, and was fueled by gasoline or methanol.

As smoking became more and more of a routine and norm among people, lighters were increasingly in demand. Soon, fashionable lighters were produced. Manufacturers began marketing lighters under specific brand names. Industry leaders were eager to distinguish themselves by making a recognizable quality product. During the World War I, the lighter development stopped and thousands of glowing wood lighters were manufactured. Trench-bound soldiers avoided flame lighters for fear that the flame would be spotted by sharpshooters. The development resumed when the war ended.

The butane gas lighter dated back to 1933. They are one of the most purchased lighters in the world. The burner and filler value system is what makes it work. They discovered that gas pressure in the lighter could be controlled by a valve making it virtually independent of the pressure and temperature of the gas in the lighter's storage tank.

The Piezo lighter was introduced in the late 1930's. They were very popular and also simple to use. Nowadays, over 500 million of these lighters are sold every year. In Piezo Lighter, crystals are compressed in a particular direction in which produce electric charges. Under pressure the Piezo crystal produces a positive charge on one side and a negative charge on the other side. To maximize the amount of electricity a hammer impact system is applied.

Gas lighters arrived at the end of the 1940s. Their development in the 1950s had a massive impact on the lighter industry. In the 1980s, electronic lighters were launched. Today a portable fire-source is no longer a priced possession or a status symbol. The most common lighter is the disposable lighter with its logos and images now used as advertising billboards that fit in your pocket.

The Electronic windproof lighters were brought to the market in the late 1980's. They were an instant hit because of their ability to light up under windy conditions. They have been improved over the years and have become very popular with cigar smokers since they easily light up a cigar.

The newest and most popular lighters since 1993 have been the flameless, turbo and jet flame lighters. Everyone wants one! They are becoming the most popular lighters around today. In electric and windproof lighters, the gas is pressurized by being routed through a miniscule hole while air was sucked in through small holes in the burner wall, producing the correct mixture of gas and air. Via a distributor, this stoichiometric mixture reaches a cylinder where it is ignited by a spark from an electrode. The flame is protected in the cylinder by a piece of metal mesh with catalytic filament so that the combustion occurred entirely within the cylinder.