On This Day

Four-wheeled roller skates are patented by James Plimpton in New York City

The documented history of inline skates dates back to the early 18th century, when enterprising inventors sought to make boots roll on wheels to emulate the gliding of ice blades on dry land.

The documented history of inline skates dates back to the early 18th century, when enterprising inventors sought to make boots roll on wheels to emulate the gliding of ice blades on dry land. Because these early inline skates were modeled after ice blades, their wheels were arranged in a single line. Skates were simply assumed to have a single runner, whether it was a steel blade on an ice skate or a row of wheels on a wheeled skate. The first patented wheeled skate was filed in France in 1819 by Charles-Louis Petibled. From that point forward, more patents and documented designs continued to explore wheeled alternatives to ice skates. Around 1860, wheeled skates began to gain popularity, and new patents appeared under names such as "roller-skates" and "parlor skates".

Historical Significance

The documented history of inline skates dates back to the early 18th century, when enterprising inventors sought to make boots roll on wheels to emulate the gliding of ice blades on dry land.

Events Before

  1. First Legal Tender Act of 1862 is passed by US Congress, authorizing the United States note (greenback) into circulation

    First Legal Tender Act of 1862 is passed by US Congress, authorizing the United States note (greenback) into circulation, the first fiat paper money that is legal tender in America

  2. First pasteurization test is completed by Frenchmen Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard

    First pasteurization test is completed by Frenchmen Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard

  3. Chemist Dmitri Mendeleev (28) weds Feozva Nikitichna Leshcheva at Nikolaev Engineering Institute's church in Saint Peter

    Chemist Dmitri Mendeleev (28) weds Feozva Nikitichna Leshcheva at Nikolaev Engineering Institute's church in Saint Petersburg, Russia

  4. First baseball enclosure opens at Union Grounds in Brooklyn

    Union Grounds was a baseball park located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. The grounds opened in 1862, its inaugural match being played on May 15.

  5. Belgian-French engineer Étienne Lenoir builds the first automobile with an internal-combustion engine

    Belgian-French engineer Étienne Lenoir builds the first automobile with an internal-combustion engine

Events After

  1. Alfred Stieglitz is born

    Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer, known for american photographer, was born on 1864-01-01.

  2. Qi Baishi is born

    Qi Baishi, Chinese painter, known for chinese painter, was born on 1864-01-01. Qi Baishi (1 January 1864 – 16 September 1957) was a Chinese painter, noted for the whimsical, often playful style of…

  3. White chapel murder victim and possible Jack the Ripper victim Mary Ann Nichols (18) weds printer's machinist William Ni

    White chapel murder victim and possible Jack the Ripper victim Mary Ann Nichols (18) weds printer's machinist William Nichols

  4. Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer marries Elizabeth Clift Bacon

    Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer marries Elizabeth Clift Bacon

  5. Battle of Gate Pā (Pukehinahina): 1,700 British troops suffer their worst defeat of the New Zealand Wars at the hands of

    Battle of Gate Pā (Pukehinahina): 1,700 British troops suffer their worst defeat of the New Zealand Wars at the hands of 230 entrenched Māori warriors in Tauranga [1]

More from the 1860s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 4, 1863?
The documented history of inline skates dates back to the early 18th century, when enterprising inventors sought to make boots roll on wheels to emulate the gliding of ice blades on dry land. Because these early inline skates were modeled after ice blades, their wheels were arranged in a single line. Skates were simply assumed to have a single runner, whether it was a steel blade on an ice skate or a row of wheels on a wheeled skate.
Why is Four-wheeled roller skates are patented by James Plimpton in New York City significant?
The documented history of inline skates dates back to the early 18th century, when enterprising inventors sought to make boots roll on wheels to emulate the gliding of ice blades on dry land.

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