When were matches first used?

Answer 1

friction fires

Answer 2

Matches are a very handy way to start a fire, and fires are used for cooking, for illumination, and for various other purposes such as heating water for a bath (not everyone has hot and cold running water!). Before the invention of matches it was harder to start fires, and the best available technique involved striking a piece of steel against a piece of flint, to make sparks, which could set tinder on fire. That was much trickier.
The friction from the strike stip againt the powdery red thing creates heat and sets the red thing a-flame. Not sure of the mixture of that red thing but I do know that's how it works.

Answer 3

Matches were first used around 1827 when the matchstick was officially discovered by a british chemist.