It’s hard to imagine life without roller skates. So, it’s a good thing we didn’t live 275 years ago! Roller skates have seen it all – from London performances to opening nights in Chicago – roller skates have an exciting history worth telling.
Check out the highlights of roller skating history:
- 1743 – Two hundred and seventy-five years ago, roller skates made their debut. It may shock you that it was at a London stage performance, but it’s fitting since acting is all about entertaining the audience.
- 1760 – Roughly 20 years after the stage performance in London, John Merlin invented in-line roller skates! (He even used metal wheels.)
- 1857 – Almost 100 years after roller skates made their initial debut, public skating rinks starting popping up in England. They probably didn’t have awesome lights and fun music, but it was a hobby that people loved!
- 1880 – Americans love having fun, too! We soon joined the roller skating wave, and skates were quickly being mass produced.
- 1902 – Have you ever seen a crowded skating rink? It probably can’t compare to The Chicago Coliseum’s public skating rink that hosted 7,000 people on opening night!
- 1916 – Hollywood wanted in on the action so they incorporated skates into the movie The Rink. Since then, roller skates have been seen in many movies such as Whip It, Roll Bounce, ATL, and Xanadu.
- 1983 – October is officially declared National Roller Skating Month – thanks, President Ronald Reagan!
- 1993 – Active Break Technology was invented which increased safety in skates. (If you love 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s music as much as we do, join us every Sunday night for Old School Night at Chester Skateland!)
Fortunately, roller skates have evolved exponentially since 1743. And, thousands of roller skating rinks are hosting millions of Americans each year. Don’t miss out on roller skating fun! Check out Chester Skateland’s weekly schedule, and skate with us today.
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