A lighter's a portable device used to create a flame. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable fluid or pressurized liquid gas, a means of ignition, and some provision for extinguishing the flame. History The first lighter, Döbereiner's lamp, was invented by Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner in 1823. It stayed in production until 1880. The development of lighters accelerated during World War I. Soldiers used matches to find their way in the dark, but the intense in… (More on Lighter)