What is National Roller Coaster Day?
People flock to amusement parks for a thrill, a few thrilling screams, and to celebrate National Roller Coaster Day each year on August 16th. Take a ride on a roller coaster near you.
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The day honors Edwin Prescott's invention of the first verticle loop roller coaster, which was patented by Edwin Prescott on this day in 1898. One or two cars are on track to crash a roller coaster. Although the structures are similar to railroad track layouts in appearance, the inclines and vertical loops embedded in the buildings aren't intended for transportation. Rollercoaster enthusiasts are looking for these elements to ignite the thrills rollercoaster enthusiasts are looking for.
The oldest roller coasters are thought to have originated from the so-called "Russian Mountains." These specially crafted hills of ice near Saint Petersburg, Russia, increased between 70 and 80 feet in height in the 17th century. Passengers in 50-degree drops were punished. Wooden supports supplied reinforcement.
Roller coaster designs have existed since at least 1872, when J.G. Taylor received one of the first patents. He named his creation an inclined railway. Richard Knudsen was granted a second patent for an inclined-plane railway in 1878.
