Who invented the first lighter?

Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner (Hof an der Saale, Germany, 13 December 1780 – Jena, Germany, 24 March 1849) was a German chemist whose observation of similarities among certain elements anticipated the development of the periodic system of elements. He became a professor of chemistry and pharmacy at the University of Jena.

In 1823 he invented the first lighter, which he called Döbereiner's Lamp. This lighter worked through a reaction of zinc with sulfuric acid, which produced flammable hydrogen that was funneled upward through the neck of a container. As the hydrogen mixed with air and met a platinum sponge, it would heat and ignite into flame. A small match-like piece of wood or a spill was still necessary to transfer the flame, but it was nevertheless a technological leap forward.

Döbereiner's Lamps were produced for about 75 years but never in large quantities because they were too bulky to carry in a pocket, were not easy to use, and, containing sulfuric acid, were not the safest items to have around. Additionally, this lighter, if left for a few days without being used, would accumulate an explosive quantity of hydrogen, requiring that the platinum be covered and the jar vented before use, something one might regret forgetting.

It was his experimentation with platinum that led to the invention of his lighter, but his work in the early categorizing of elements is perhaps his most impressive contribution to science.