Before the development and installation of the chimney, dwellings could only have one story, since there was no way to contain the smoke produced from an open fire inside of the dwelling. Today, chimneys allow homes and other establishments to enjoy the comfort of an open fire, while properly ventilating the smoke outside. The chimney has allowed for incredible architectural feats, such as the tallest chimney in the world standing at 1378 feet in the GRES-2 Power station located in Kazakhstan.

The idea of Santa Claus coming down the chimney to deliver Christmas presents originated in a poem written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1823. However, those unfortunate enough to learn Santa is a fictional character, understand that the only people who go up and down chimneys were chimney sweepers and wild animals.