Overview
About the event
The day has been chosen because it commemorates the first vertical loop rollercoaster, which was patented on this date in 1898 by Edwin Prescott. In order to appreciate National Roller Coaster Day, it is worth digging deeper into the history of this popular theme park ride.
It is believed that the oldest rollercoasters have come from the Russian Mountains, which are a number of hills of ice that were specially constructed in what is now known as Saint Petersburg.
These rollercoasters were constructed in the 17th century. They were reinforced with wooden supports, had a 50-degree drop, and were built to a height of somewhere between 21 and 24 meters.
It was on the 8th of July in 1817 that the first modern rollercoaster was created. It opened in Paris, in Parc Beaujon, and it was called Promenades Aeriennes.
It featured wheeled cars, which were locked onto the track securely, offering higher speeds and guide rails to keep them on course. Half a dozen imitators were created as a consequence, yet their popularity dwindled rather quickly.
Nevertheless, rollercoasters quickly returned to fashion during Belle Epoque. Co-founder of the Moulin Rouge music hall, French entrepreneur Joseph Oller, constructed the Russian Mountains of Belleville in 1887, known locally as the Montagnes Russes de Belleville.
It featured 656 feet worth of track that was laid out in a double-eight, which was later made bigger, creating four figure-eight shaped loops.
The popularity and decline of rollercoasters have varied over the years. The golden age of theme parks, and consequently rollercoasters, came to end during the Great Depression.
This lasted until 1972 when The Racer at Kings Island was an instant success. Of course, it would not be right to talk about rollercoasters and theme parks without mentioning Disneyland. The park had a breakthrough in terms of design with Matterhorn Bobsleds.
