<Ul> <Li> 1743 : First recorded use of roller skates , in a London stage performance . The inventor of this skate is unknown . </Li> <Li> 1760 : First recorded skate invention , by John Joseph Merlin , who created a primitive inline skate with small metal wheels . </Li> <Li> 1818 : Roller skates appeared on the ballet stage in Berlin . </Li> <Li> 1819 : First patented roller skate design , in France by M. Petitbled . These early skates were similar to today 's inline skates , but they were not very maneuverable . It was difficult with these skates to do anything but move in a straight line and perhaps make wide sweeping turns . </Li> <Li> Rest of the 19th century : inventors continued to work on improving skate design . </Li> <Li> 1823 : Robert John Tyers of London patented a skate called the Rolito . This skate had five wheels in a single row on the bottom of a shoe or boot . </Li> <Li> 1857 : Finally , roller skating had gained enough momentum to warrant the opening of the first public skating rinks . The Strand , London and Floral Hall had these first roller rinks . </Li> <Li> 1863 : The four - wheeled turning roller skate , or quad skate , with four wheels set in two side - by - side pairs ( front and rear ) , was first designed , in New York City by James Leonard Plimpton in an attempt to improve upon previous designs . The skate contained a pivoting action using a rubber cushion that allowed the skater to skate a curve just by pressing his weight to one side or the other , most commonly by leaning to one side . It was a huge success , so much so that the first public roller skating rinks were opened in 1866 , first in New York City by Plimpton in his furniture store and then in Newport , Rhode Island with the support of Plimpton . The design of the quad skate allowed easier turns and maneuverability , and the quad skate came to dominate the industry for more than a century . </Li> <Li> 1875 Roller skating rink in Plymouth , England held its first competition . ) </Li> <Li> 1876 : William Brown in Birmingham , England , patented a design for the wheels of roller skates . Brown 's design embodied his effort to keep the two bearing surfaces of an axle , fixed and moving , apart . Brown worked closely with Joseph Henry Hughes , who drew up the patent for a ball or roller bearing race for bicycle and carriage wheels in 1877 . Hughes ' patent included all the elements of an adjustable system . These two men are thus responsible for modern roller skate and skateboard wheels , as well as the ball bearing race inclusion in velocipedes -- later to become motorbikes and automobiles . This was arguably the most important advance in the realistic use of roller skates as a pleasurable pastime . </Li> </Ul>
<Ul> <Li> 1743 : First recorded use of roller skates , in a London stage performance . The inventor of this skate is unknown . </Li> <Li> 1760 : First recorded skate invention , by John Joseph Merlin , who created a primitive inline skate with small metal wheels . </Li> <Li> 1818 : Roller skates appeared on the ballet stage in Berlin . </Li> <Li> 1819 : First patented roller skate design , in France by M. Petitbled . These early skates were similar to today 's inline skates , but they were not very maneuverable . It was difficult with these skates to do anything but move in a straight line and perhaps make wide sweeping turns . </Li> <Li> Rest of the 19th century : inventors continued to work on improving skate design . </Li> <Li> 1823 : Robert John Tyers of London patented a skate called the Rolito . This skate had five wheels in a single row on the bottom of a shoe or boot . </Li> <Li> 1857 : Finally , roller skating had gained enough momentum to warrant the opening of the first public skating rinks . The Strand , London and Floral Hall had these first roller rinks . </Li> <Li> 1863 : The four - wheeled turning roller skate , or quad skate , with four wheels set in two side - by - side pairs ( front and rear ) , was first designed , in New York City by James Leonard Plimpton in an attempt to improve upon previous designs . The skate contained a pivoting action using a rubber cushion that allowed the skater to skate a curve just by pressing his weight to one side or the other , most commonly by leaning to one side . It was a huge success , so much so that the first public roller skating rinks were opened in 1866 , first in New York City by Plimpton in his furniture store and then in Newport , Rhode Island with the support of Plimpton . The design of the quad skate allowed easier turns and maneuverability , and the quad skate came to dominate the industry for more than a century . </Li> <Li> 1875 Roller skating rink in Plymouth , England held its first competition . ) </Li> <Li> 1876 : William Brown in Birmingham , England , patented a design for the wheels of roller skates . Brown 's design embodied his effort to keep the two bearing surfaces of an axle , fixed and moving , apart . Brown worked closely with Joseph Henry Hughes , who drew up the patent for a ball or roller bearing race for bicycle and carriage wheels in 1877 . Hughes ' patent included all the elements of an adjustable system . These two men are thus responsible for modern roller skate and skateboard wheels , as well as the ball bearing race inclusion in velocipedes -- later to become motorbikes and automobiles . This was arguably the most important advance in the realistic use of roller skates as a pleasurable pastime . </Li> </Ul>
when was the first roller skating rink opened
when was the first roller skating rink opened
1857
1857