A Ride Through the History of the Roller Coaster

1. A Ride Through the History of the Roller Coaster Lauren Friedman June 26, 2004

2. In the Beginning 1650 - The origin of the roller coaster dates back to the Russian ice slides built in the mid 1600’s.

3. 1817 - Russes a Belleville was the first roller coaster to lock the cars to the track.

4. The Ariel Walk, located in France, was one of the world’s first roller coasters.

5. 1846 - The world’s first looping coaster with a 13-foot diameter was imported to France from England.

6. Into America 1872 - The Mauch Chunk Switchback railway is considered the first American roller coaster.

7. In 1878, Richard Knudson was one of the first to patent a roller coaster.

8. Coney Island, New York Thompson’s Switchback Railway opened in 1884 in Coney Island, New York. It charged five cents per ride.

9. The loop-the-loop was one of the first looping roller coasters in the world. It opened in 1901 in New York’s Coney Island.

10. The Dark Days of Roller Coasters 1929 - During the Great Depression many of the countries roller coasters fell into a state of disrepair.

11. Roller Coasters Rejuvenated 1957 - A number of dare devils attempted to jump between the racing trains on the cyclone racer in Long Beach, California. Some were lucky, some were not.

12. Amusement Parks Take Over 1975 - The Corkscrew at Knotts Berry Farm in California was the worlds first modern inverted roller coaster.

13. 1987 - The Vortex at Paramount’s Kings Island was built featuring six inversions. It sparked a race among parks and designers to build taller and faster coasters.

14. 1996 - Montu at Busch Gardens Tampa debuted as the largest inverted roller coaster. It featured seven inversions.

15. 2000 - Millennium Force at Cedar point was the first full-circuit roller coaster to break the 300 foot barrier.

16. References www.discoverychannel.com www.ultimaterollercoasters.com