| Roller blades, roller skates or inline skates all refer | | | | line under the wood sole. |
| to a skate. History of roller blade is somewhat | | | | 1823 |
| long and winding. While people often use the term | | | | Another patent was issued for Rolito. Rolito is a |
| roller blade for the boot with wheels underneath, | | | | shoe or boot with five lined wheels at the bottom. |
| it may help to know that roller blade is actually a | | | | This is the first design that resembles our roller |
| trade name and not the boot with wheel that you | | | | skates of today, however, Rolito cannot follow |
| usually enjoy. Rollerblade, Inc. is the manufacturer | | | | curved path as the skates of today can. |
| of many modern roller skates. | | | | 1863 |
| Historical timelines of roller blades | | | | The birth of quad skates entered the history of |
| 1700s | | | | roller blades or roller skates. An American |
| The history of roller blades or roller skates, | | | | inventory names James Plimpton designed a |
| started in the early 1700s when a London stage | | | | usable pair of skates. His skates had two parallel |
| performer used roller skates in a performance. | | | | sets of wheels: one pair under the heel and the |
| This is the first sighting of a roller blade. The | | | | other pair under the toes. Plimptons design was |
| concept came from Holland where Dutchmen | | | | the first useable pair of skates; it is able to |
| would nail wooden spools to strips of wood and | | | | navigate curves unlike earlier models. |
| attaching them to their shoes. They will use their | | | | 1902 |
| skeelers to slide through frozen canals. | | | | Seven thousand people attended the opening of a |
| 1760 | | | | skating rink in a Chicago Coliseum. This started |
| Joseph Merlin, a London instrument maker and | | | | series of skating rinks opening in the United |
| inventor wants to impress some people to | | | | States. |
| promote his museum. He attended a masquerade | | | | 1970s-1980s |
| party using metal-wheeled boots. However, to | | | | The disco era gave skating another boost in |
| make his entrance engaging, he played his violin as | | | | popularity where many Hollywood movies included |
| he rolls his skates. Unfortunately, he crashed into | | | | roller skating in their theme. Over 4,000 roller |
| a solid mirror wall. | | | | discos are also seen operating in and around the |
| 1818 | | | | United States. |
| In this year, the premier German Ballet group | | | | 1979 |
| known as Der maler oder dei Wintervergn or The | | | | This marks the birth of the name roller blades. |
| Artist or Winter Pleasures used roller skates in | | | | Hockey players and brothers Scott and Brennan |
| one of their production numbers. The intention | | | | Olson redesigned an old skates as a tool to |
| was actually to perform ice skating, however | | | | practice hockey. They used modern materials in |
| since during this time it is yet impossible to | | | | improving the design. They also establish |
| produce ice on a stage, rollers skates are a | | | | Rollerblade, Inc.. The modern design of roller |
| better alternative. | | | | skates made the most useful and modern design |
| 1819 | | | | possible for this sliding tool. Since, then roller |
| Monsieur Petibledin received the first patent for a | | | | skates are already known to people as roller |
| roller skate in France. His roller skates are made | | | | blades. |
| of wood sole that is attached at the bottom of a | | | | Other improvements and variations are developed |
| boot. There are two to four rollers made of | | | | to roller blades but the history started with the |
| either copper, wood or ivory forming a straight | | | | establishment of Rollerblade, Inc. |