The first use of roller skates were said to be in a London stage performance as early as 1743, with John Joseph Merlin claiming the first skate invention while living in London in 1760.
They even featured during World War II when the U.S. had the idea of using them to move infantry around Europe to save gas – an idea that didn’t materialize.
In the U.S. they first became a popular pastime in 1935 and when skating rinks playing disco music were introduced in the 1970s the hobby became all the rage.
For those of a certain age you may remember those heavy metal skates that attached to your shoes and adjusted as your feet grew. But you may not remember a metal object that came with these skates that most skaters wore around their neck.
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