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The first figure skates were made out of bone and were carbon dated to about the year 3000. Early humans used them to skate across frozen lakes.
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The Dutch were the first to make and use somewhat modern figure skates made of a simple steel blade and leather straps to keep them on your feet. These were used to go from village to villages on the frozen canals.
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Edward Bushnell revolutionizes the skating world when he creates the first modern figure skates with two edges on a steel blade. His sharpening technique can still be seen in skates today.
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Jackson Haines was an American living in Vienna in the 1860's, he was a ballet master and added elements of ballet to give skating it's grace and power.
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Axel Paulsen invented the axel jump, which is a 1 1/2 rotation jump, and the hardest jump to land.
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Ulrich Salchow invented the salchow jump in 1909, and it is now the first single jump that skaters learn
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Midori was the first woman to land a triple axel in competition, and the only woman to land one in the Olympic games.
