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The first roller coaster
The first roller coaster were ice slides up to 70 feet high. You would slide down on ice or wood sleds crashing into sand piles. -
The first complete roller coaster
It broke onto the scene in 1817, in Paris. It was known as The Aerial Walk. Passengers walked up a set of stairs to ride a bench down the 600-ft. track at 40 mph. -
First chain lift roller coaster
Gravity Pleasure featured the first lift system which was made by Phillip Hinkle. The cars allowed people to face forward instead of sitting in an awkward position. -
Cedar Point gets their first roller coaster
The park's first roller coaster was called The Switchback Railway. It was 25 feet high and reached a top speed of 10 miles per hour. -
The Cyclone
A roller coaster in Revere Beach, Massachusetts known as the Cyclone pursued another feat. It was the first coaster to reach 100 feet tall. -
The Tumbling Bug is added to Cedar Point
The Tumble Bug was one of few new roller coasters built in the early 40's and is still around today. -
Matterhorn Bobsleds
Disneyland released the first roller coaster with steel tubular track in 1959 with the Matterhorn Bobsleds. The technology set the standards for how future behemoths would hurtle passengers along. -
Six Flags Opens
Six Flags was first opened in 1976 and was called Marriotts Great America. In 1987, the name changed to Six Flags Great America. -
Coaster Anatomy
Disneyland's innovation marked a turning point for coaster anatomy. In 1976, Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California unveiled Revolution, the first "modern" coaster with a loop. -
Carolina Cyclone
In 1980, the Carolina Cyclone opened at Carowinds in Charlotte. It was the first to have four inversions. -
The American Eagle opens
When the American Eagle was built, it was the tallest and fastest wood roller coaster of its time. It still remains one of the favorites at Six Flags Great America. -
XL- 200
Height was still a big deal. Cedar Point opened Magnum XL-200 in 1989 -- so named for its distinction as the first ride to reach the 200- foot mark. -
Batman: The Ride
In 1992, Six Flags Great America, In Gurnee, Illinois, came out with Batman: The Ride. Riders sat beneath the track, their legs dangling in the breeze. -
Kings Dominion's Flight of Fear
Another technological innovation emerged in 1996, with Kings Dominion's Flight of Fear. It was the first roller coaster to use linear motor propulsion, a technique often used in trains that eliminates the need for lift hills. -
Tower of Terror II
Australia's Dreamworld amusement park opened Tower of Terror II, and L-shaped ride that sent riders plummeting at 100 mph, the first coaster to achieve that speed. -
Millennium Force
Cedar Point broke its own record for tallest coaster in 2000 with Millennium Force. It stands an impressive 310 feet tall, reaches 93 mph, and features an 80- degree drop. -
Dodonpa
Japan quickly eclipsed Cedar Point's achievement in 2001, however, with Dodonpa. The vertigo- inducing 90- degree drop was the first in the world. -
Magic Mountain's X
Manufacturers took things up another notch in 2002 with Magic Mountain's X coaster (now the X2). It was the first coaster whose seats rotated horizontally. As riders shot forward, their seats scrambled wildly. -
Top Thrill Dragster opens
It held the record for the fastest and tallest roller coaster for two year until King Da Ka was built on May 21, 2005. If it is even drizzling or windy, you cannot ride it. -
Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka in Six Flags Great Adventure quickly surpassed Top Thrill Dragster in 2005, though. It climbs 456 feet high and needs near-ideal cloud conditions to stay in operation. Too foggy and the ride is a no go. -
Saw: The Ride
Though many roller coaster innovations have taken place in the US, the UK received a 2009 record with Saw: The Ride. It was the first coaster to come with a 100- degree free fall, in which riders actually dip back behind their launch point. -
Formula Rossa
The current world-record holder for fastest roller coaster was built in in 2010 in Abu Dhabi. Formula Rossa, located at Ferrari World, goes 0-149 mph in just 4 seconds. -
Takabisha
Japan's answer to the extreme free fall came in 2011 with Takabisha. Its 121- degree drop will have you feeling like your somersaulting out of your seat. -
X Flight opens
It is 12 stories tall and goes 55 mph. You sit in pairs on the sides of the track with legs dangling 3000 feet of drops and spins. -
Skyscraper
Orlando is building the Skyplex complex with a ride called Skyscraper set to open in 2018. At 570 feet high, it will be the world's tallest roller coaster.
