Historical timeline - Roller skating

The earliest roller skates known are from 18th century Europe. These skates were used in theater and musical performances, possibly to simulate ice skating onstage. Early roller skating was done in a straight line because turning or curving was very difficult with the primitive skate designs of the time. Until the 1840s roller skates were occasionally used for stage productions and some outdoor exhibitions, but there was no widespread use.Waitresses in an 1840s beer hall in Berlin used roller skates to serve customers. Ballet and opera of the late 1840s, such as Le prophète, featured roller skating. This helped to make roller skating popular for the first time, in 1850s Europe. Technological improvements helped as well, such as rubber wheels in 1859 and four-wheeled turning skates in 1863.^[1]:9–13 The popularity of roller skating has fluctuated greatly since then; it is typically called a "craze" at its high points.