The Roller Coaster Almanac
                            Updated since 05/15/2002
              Compiled by Dave Althoff, Jr. (dalthoff@capital.edu)


                               ---- January ----

January 3--
       1984:  A woman was killed when she fell from the {Matterhorn Bobsleds} 
              roller coaster at Disneyland.  

January 5--
       1926:  Birth of Howard Berni, who was instrumental in the development 
              of Americana Amusement Park, Middletown, Ohio, after World War 
              II. 
       2001:  Six Flags, Inc. purchases SeaWorld Ohio, Aurora, Ohio.  The park 
              is to be combined with Six Flags Ohio (Geauga Lake) to form Six 
              Flags Worlds of Adventure. 

January 6--
       1893:  Fire on Coney Island burns the West Brighton Hotel, Balmer's 
              Bathing Pavilion, and other buildings. 
       1985:  Death of Patrick Duffy, owner of Idora Park, Youngstown, Ohio.  
       2000:  Park River Corporation and park General Manager John Ellison 
              announce that Americana Amusement Park is for sale, will not 
              open in 2000 unless it is purchased, and may be liquidated. 

January 8--
       1982:  Fred Moran, owner of the Coney Island, NY. {Thunderbolt} dies at 
              the age of 64.  Mr. Moran lived in the house underneath the 
              roller coaster.  
       1990:  A fire at Americana Amusement Park (Middletown, Ohio) destroyed 
              the bathhouse and the former Stardust Gardens ballroom.  

January 9--
       1987:  {Star Tours}, a ride-film simulator ride, opens at Disneyland, 
              Anaheim, California. 

January 10--
       1915:  Birth of William Albert Koch, who would develop the first theme 
              park, Santa Claus Land (now Holiday World) along with the town 
              of Santa Claus, Indiana. 
       1929:  William George Bean, one of the founders of the Blackpool 
              Pleasure Beach, sets sail on the {SS Arduna} for a three-month 
              cruise to South America and the Pacific Ocean. 
       2000:  A section of the {Son Of Beast} wooden coaster, under 
              construction at Paramount's Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, 
              collapses in a wind storm.  Nobody is hurt and the incident is 
              not expected to delay the coaster's opening. 
       2002:  Press day for {X}, the prototype "Fourth Dimension" roller 
              coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.  
              The ride features passenger seats that pitch and somersault 
              during the ride. 

January 11--
       2001:  Downtown Disney, a mixed-use entertainment complex adjacent to 
              Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, opens in Anaheim, 
              California. 

January 12--
       1990:  The {Star Tours} simulator ride opens at Disney-MGM Studios, 
              Lake Buena Vista, Florida.  
       2000:  Disney artist and animator Marc Davis dies at age 86.  Davis was 
              an animator on several Disney features, then joined Walt Disney 
              Imagineering to develop sharacters and stories for the theme 
              park attractions. 
       2002:  {X}, the Arrow Dynamics-built prototype roller coaster opens at 
              Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia California, after a month of 
              season-pass rides. 

January 14--
       2002:  One tower of the {VertiGo} attraction, an air-driven "Absolutely 
              Insane" slingshot ride from S&S Power, collapses at Cedar Point 
              for no apparent reason.  The ride had been closed for the season 
              for four months, so nobody was near it when the tower fell. 

January 15--
       1975:  {Space Mountain} opens at Walt Disney World.   
       2000:  The equipment and business assets of Funni Frite Industries, 
              Pickerington, Ohio-based manufacturer of dark rides and fun 
              houses, is auctioned. 

January 16--
       2002:  Arsonists set fire to the {Castle Dracula} haunted house 
              attraction in Wildwood, New Jersey.  The attraction, which 
              opened in 1976, is totally destroyed. 

January 17--
       1929:  William George Bean, one of the founding partners of the 
              Blackpool Pleasure Beach, dies of pneumonia aboard the {SS 
              Arduna} and is buried at sea near the Canary Islands. 
       1990:  At about 3:00 pm, visitors at Boardwalk & Baseball, Haines City, 
              Florida, were asked to leave.  The park then closed permanently. 
               

January 20--
       1885:  LaMarcus A. Thompson granted patent for {Switchback Railway}.  

January 22--
       1998:  Death of Wilbert C. Morey, co-founder of the most successful 
              amusement piers in Wildwood, New Jersey. 
       1999:  A small fire at Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois causes 
              $125,000 damage and destroys a pizza restaurant in the park's 
              {Orleans Square} section. 

January 26--
       1993:  {Mickey's Toontown} opens at Disneyland. Anaheim, CA.  
       1994:  {Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin} ride opens at Disneyland, 
              Anaheim, California.  

January 30--
       1933:  Summit Beach Park (Akron, Ohio) equipment auctioned.  High bid 
              of $1,100 by a group of bondholders makes continued operation of 
              the park possible.  

January 31--
       1993:  ACE - {<A>merican <C>oaster <E>nthusiasts} - members are invited 
              to tour the Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters factory.  
       2000:  Masatomo Takahashi, former president and chairman of Oriental 
              Land Co., dies at the age of 86.  Takahashi oversaw the opening 
              of Oriental Land's theme park project, Tokyo Disneyland. 

                               ---- February ----

February 1--
       1867:  Birth of William F. Mangels, who would become a leading 
              developer and supplier of amusement rides and carousels.  
              Mangels inventions include the Whip and the Tickler. 
       1977:  United States Patent #4,005,877, "Vehicle Passenger Restraint 
              System," granted to Thomas Humphries and assigned to Arrow 
              Development Corp. for the Corkscrew seat and bar mechanism.  
       1989:  Death of Cyril Wagner, former owner of Walled Lake Amusement 
              Park (Walled Lake, MI) and Edgewater Park (Detroit, MI).  
       1992:  Death of Parker Beach, former owner of Chippewa Lake Park, Ohio, 
              at age 86.  

February 2--
       1862:  George Arthur Boeckling (1862-1931) born.  Boekling was the 
              showman largely responsible for the development of Cedar Point 
              into a major seasonal resort.  

February 3--
       1934:  Birth of actor George Segal, whose film credits include the role 
              of safety inspector Harry Calder in the 1977 film 
              {Rollercoaster}...which is why he is listed here. 

February 4--
       1985:  Rides and attractions from Petticoat Junction Amusement Park 
              (Panama City, Florida) auctioned off.  
       1986:  Death of Mel Heavener, General Manager, Bushkill Park, Easton, 
              Pennsylvania.  

February 5--
[New!] 1901:  Edwin Prescott of Arlington, Mass., patents the loop-the-loop 
              roller coaster. 

February 8--
       1992:  Camden Park (Huntington, West Virginia) auctioned off its 
              carousel in pieces.  
       2001:  Disney's California Adventure, a new theme park adjacent to 
              Disneyland, opens in Anaheim, California. 

February 10--
       1993:  Boblo Island, Amhertsberg, Ontario, auctioned intact.  

February 11--
       1958:  Death of William F. Mangels, a leading supplier and inventor of 
              amusement rides such as the Whip. 
[New!] 2000:  {Goliath}, a gigantic non-looping steel coaster from Giovanola, 
              opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California. 

February 12--
       1936:  A fire consumed the bathhouse at Wildwood Amusement Park, 
              Mahtomedi, Minnesota.  

February 13--
       1988:  The 1917 C. W. Parker carousel from San Antonio's Playland was 
              auctioned in pieces.  

February 14--
       1859:  Birth of George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. in Galesburg, 
              Illinois.  Ferris was the engineer, entrepreneur, and showman 
              responsible for the Ferris Wheel at the World's Columbian 
              Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, 1893.  
       1967:  {Pirates of the Carribbean} opens at Disneyland, Anaheim, 
              California. 
       1987:  Circus World, Haines City, Florida, re-opens as Boardwalk and 
              Baseball (closes again in 1990).  

February 15--
[New!] 1955:  Thomas D. Rebbie is born at Philadelphia Naval Hospital to 
              Thomas L. and Kathleen V. Rebbie. 

February 16--
       1996:  Luna Park, Sydney, Austraila closes after a brief resurrection.  
[New!] 2003:  Death of Dick Janas, owner of Powers Great American Midways 
              carnival. 

February 22--
       1997:  Old Indiana Fun Park (Thorntown, Indiana) rides and equipment 
              auctioned. 
       2001:  Warner LeRoy dies, Age 65.  LeRoy designed Great Adventure, 
              Jackson, Jew Jersey, in 1974, as well as many New York City 
              restaurants. 

February 23--
       1966:  Demolition of the {Comet} begins at Forest Park Highlands, St. 
              Louis, Missouri. 
       1972:  Former Euclid Beach dance pavilion burned down.  
       1997:  The last remaining building from the ill-fated <Six Flags 
              AutoWorld> theme park in Flint, Michigan is imploded.  
              Constructed in 1929 as the IMA Auditorium, the building closed 
              in 1979, was renovated, and became part of AutoWorld in 1984.  
              The site is now part of the University of Michigan Flint campus. 

February 24--
       1990:  The Mangels-Illions Carousel at Boblo Island (Amhertsberg, 
              Ontario) is auctioned.  

February 26--
       1966:  Demolition of the {Comet} is completed at Forest Park Highlands, 
              St. Louis, Missouri. 
       1971:  Kennywood finally purchases the 140 acres on which the park sits 
              from the Kenny family for $1,300,000.  
[New!] 2003:  "Mister" Fred Rogers dies at age 74 after a battle with stomach 
              cancer.  Best known for more than three decades of children's 
              television programming, Mister Rogers Neighborhood was adapted 
              into an attraction at Idlewild Park outside Rogers' native 
              Pittsburgh. 

                                ---- March ----

March 1--
       1919:  Death of Theodore Marshall (T. M.) Harton, early coaster 
              builder, ride operator, and founder of West View Park.  
       1980:  {Judge Roy Scream} opens at Six Flags over Texas.  The air 
              temperature was 17 degrees (F), and only 180 people were in the 
              park.  One member of the {Apache Bells} drill team passed out 
              due to the cold and wind of the first ride. 
[New!] 2003:  A worker is killed while painting the {Big Bad Wolf} roller 
              coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg when the lift he was 
              standing on failed. 
[New!] 2003:  An assistant manager is killed at Jeepers! family entertainment 
              center, Livonia, Michigan, when he is run over by the {Python 
              Pit} junior roller coaster he was repairing. 

March 4--
       2000:  Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, California, hosts {Coaster 
              Solace}, the park's first park-sponsored coaster enthusiast 
              event. 

March 5--
       2001:  The Idora Park ballroom is destroyed by fire. 

March 7--
       1992:  {Ninja}, a Vekoma multi-looping coaster, opens at Six Flags over 
              Georgia.  

March 8--
       1848:  Birth of LaMarcus A. Thompson (1848-1919), the first to actually 
              patent and build a roller-coaster, the {Switchback Railway,} in 
              1884.  Thompson was born in Jersey, Ohio, about fifteen miles 
              Northeast of Columbus.  

March 9--
       1988:  Bankrupt Boyertown USA (Altoona, PA) sold at auction.  
       1991:  The {Vortex} opens at Great America, Santa Clara, California.  

March 10--
       1999:  Death of (William) Walker LeRoy at the age of 83.  LeRoy worked 
              at Oaks Park, Portland Oregon from the late 1920's until his 
              death. 

March 11--
       1989:  The {Skyhawk} ride opens at Great America, Santa Clara, 
              California.  
       2000:  {Superman Krypton Coaster}, a 'floorless' looping coaster from 
              Bolliger & Mabillard, opens to the public at (Six Flags) Fiesta 
              Texas in San Antonio, Texas. 

March 12--
       1983:  ACE first EastCoaster event - {ACE Conference East.}  
       1997:  The long awaited {Superman: The Escape} ride finally opens at 
              <Six Flags Magic Mountain>, Valencia, California.  The first 
              amusement ride to carry passengers at speeds of 100 miles per 
              hour, {Superman: The Escape} opened about 11 months behind 
              schedule. 

March 13--
       2001:  {Wildfire} officially opens at Silver Dollar City, Branson, 
              Missouri. 

March 14--
       1992:  Fiesta Texas and the {Rattler,} designed by John Pierce, open to 
              the public.  
       1992:  {Vortex} stand-up coaster by Bolliger & Mabillard opens at 
              Paramount's Carowinds.  
       1992:  Death of C. V. Wood, Jr.  Wood was the first vice-president and 
              general manager of Disneyland, Anaheim, California.  
       1998:  {Oblivion}, the first Dive Machine coaster-like drop ride from 
              Bolliger & Mabillard, opens at Alton Towers, Staffordshire, 
              England. 
[New!] 2003:  The {E.T.} attraction closes at Universal Studios Hollywood. 

March 15--
       1997:  {Superman:  The Escape} opens to the public for normal daily 
              operation.  Eleven months behind schedule, it was the first 
              amusement ride to carry passengers at speeds of 100 miles per 
              hour.  The 415-foot-tall ride opened to the press on March 12, 
              1997 at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California. 

March 16--
       1999:  Press day for {Top Gun}, inverted roller coaster at Paramount's 
              Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina. 
       2002:  {AIR}, the first "flying" roller coaster from B&M, opens at 
              Alton Towers, North Staffordshire, England. 
       2002:  {Ricochet}, a Mack Wild Mouse roller coaster, opens for a public 
              preview at Paramount's Kings Dominion, Doswell, Virginia. 

March 17--
       1910:  A flag-raising celebrated the completion of Hershey Park's new 
              24-foot-square bandstand.  It replaced the smaller, original 
              one. 
       1936:  Flood devastates Lakemont Park, Altoona, PA.  
       2002:  {Primeval Whirl,} a pair of Reverchon Crazy Mouse roller 
              coasters, opens for a public preview at Disney's Animal Kingdom, 
              Walt Disney World, Reedy Creek, Florida. 

March 19--
       1993:  {Top Gun,} designed by Bolliger & Mabillard opens at Paramount's 
              Great America in Santa Clara, California.  
       1996:  Death of Joe Hofner, owner of Vollmar's Park (Bowling Green, 
              Ohio), at age 58.  
       1998:  Fatal ride accident at the Austin-Travis County Livestock Show 
              and Rodeo.  Three riders were thrown from the {Himalaya}; one 
              was killed when she struck the scenery panel and platform. 

March 20--
       1999:  {Top Gun: The Jet Coaster}, a B&M inverted coaster, opens at 
              Paramount's Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina. 

March 21--
       1989:  Joyland Park (Topeka, Kansas) auctioned.  
       1997:  The {Windjammer Surf Racers} dual track racing roller coaster 
              opens at Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, California.  It is the 
              first dual-track racing coaster to include looping elements. 
       1998:  {Mad Cobra}, the first LIM-launched coaster in Asia, opens at 
              Suzuka Circuitland, Mie Prefecture, Japan. 
       1999:  Legoland California opens, Carlsbad, California. 
       1999:  A raft overturns on the {Roaring Rapids} Rapid River Ride at Six 
              Flags over Texas.  Eleven riders are injured, one becomes 
              trapped and killed.  It is the first rider fatality in the park 
              since its opening in 1961. 
       2000:  {Stealth}, Vekoma's prototype "Flying Coaster," opens for the 
              media at Paramount's Great America, Santa Clara, California.  
              The ride features a "flying" riding position. 

March 22--
[New!] 2003:  {Drop Zone,} a freefall tower from Intamin, opens at Paramount's 
              Kings Dominion, Doswell, Virginia. 

March 23--
       1991:  {Anaconda,} multi-looper designed by Arrow Dynamics, opens at 
              Paramount's Kings Dominion, Doswell, Virginia.  
       1991:  The {Psyclone} roller coaster opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain, 
              Valencia, California.  

March 24--
       2001:  {Hypersonic XLC} officially opens to the public at Paramount's 
              Kings Dominion, Doswell, Virginia.  It is the first air-launched 
              coaster from S&S Power. 

March 25--
       1989:  The {Chaos} roller coaster opens at Opryland USA (Nashville, 
              Tennessee).  
       1998:  Press day for the long delayed {Mr. Freeze} launched coaster at 
              Six Flags Over Texas. 
       1999:  Cal/OSHA fines Disneyland $12,500 for safety violations leading 
              up to the fatal dockside 'sailing ship' accident of December 24, 
              1998. 

March 26--
       1998:  {Stampeda}, a CCI-built roller coaster at Port Aventura, Spain, 
              reopens for the first time after its fatal 1997 accident. 

March 27--
       1968:  {Thunderbolt,} designed by Andy Vettel, completed at Kennywood, 
              finishing a complete redesign of John Miller's 1924 {Pippin,} 
              creating the coaster we know today.  
       1982:  The {Grizzly} roller coaster opens at Kings Dominion (Doswell, 
              Virginia).  
       1993:  {Batman:  The Ride,} a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster, 
              opens at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey.  
       1999:  {Apollo's Chariot}, B&M's first non-looping 'hypercoaster' opens 
              at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia. 

March 28--
       1998:  {Mr. Freeze}, a Premier Rides LIM-launched coaster, opens at Six 
              Flags Over Texas...one year late. 
[New!] 2003:  A {Tornado} carnival ride collapses at the Lehigh Spring Fest in 
              Lehigh Acres, Florida, causing minor injuries to four riders. 

March 29--
       1980:  Fatal collision on {Willard's Whizzer} at Great America (Santa 
              Clara, California) killed one and injured eight.  
       1996:  Legoland Windsor (England) opens.  
       1998:  Death of Dewey Mathis, 33-year Chance Rides employee and product 
              expert, at the age of 52. 

March 30--
       1903:  Riverview Park (Aurora, Illinois) takes delivery of its 
              carousel.  
       1996:  {Megafobia,} a new wood coaster by Custom Coasters 
              International, officially opens at Oakwood, Pembrokeshire, 
              Wales.  Some enthusiasts consider this the most important new 
              wood coaster built in the U.K. for over 50 years.  
       1998:  Iwerks Entertainment Inc.'s shareholders reject a plan for a 
              merger with Showscan Entertainment. 
       1999:  Press day for {Apollo's Chariot,} new Speed Coaster from 
              Bolliger & Mabillard, at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, 
              Williamsburg, Virginia.  During the ceremonial first ride, a 
              celebrity rider, male model Fabio, is struck in the face by an 
              errant bird.  Fabio was not seriously hurt; the bird may have 
              been killed. 
       2002:  {Winja's Fear} and {Winja's Force}, two spinning coasters from 
              Maurer-S&ouml;hne, open at Phantasialand, Bruhl, Germany. 

March 31--
       1889:  The Eiffel Tower opens in Paris, France.  While not itself an 
              amusement park attraction, two scale replicas have been built at 
              American amusement parks. 
       1994:  Fire at Seabreeze Park destroys PTC carousel #36 and a number of 
              other park accessories, including a coaster train.  
       1990:  Nine people were admitted to Kansas City area hospitals for 
              treatment of injuries sustained when two trains collided on the 
              {Timber Wolf} at World's of Fun (Kansas City, Missouri).  
       1973:  Carowinds, near Charlotte, North Carolina, opens.  
       1998:  Financial & Trading Corporation (FITRACO) of Antwerp, Belgium 
              acquires the remains of the closed Magic Springs amusement park 
              in Hot Springs, Arkansas. 
       2001:  {Flight of Fear} opens to the public at Paramount's Kings 
              Dominion.  It's the same ride that opened in 1996 as {The Outer 
              Limits: Flight of Fear} but for the 2001 season, the 
              over-the-shoulder restraints were removed from this electrically 
              launched indoor looping coaster. 

                                ---- April ----

April 1--
       1931:  "Kilbourn, Wisconsin" changes its name to "Wisconsin Dells". 
       1996:  The {Colorado Adventure} mine train (Vekoma) opens at 
              Phantasialand in Bruhl, Germany.  
       1989:  The {Timber Wolf} roller coaster opens at Worlds of Fun (Kansas 
              City, Missouri).  
       1998:  Premier Parks, Inc. completes its acquisition of Six Flags Theme 
              Parks, a 1.9-billion-dollar deal which made Premier the world's 
              largest regional theme park operator. 
       2000:  The {Nickelodeon Flying Super Saturator}, a swinging inverted 
              coaster from Setpoint, opens at Paramount's Carowinds, 
              Charlotte, NC.  The ride features some 30 different ways for 
              spectators to get riders wet...and car-mounted sprayers so that 
              riders can fire back! 

April 2--
       1999:  {Medusa}, the world's first floorless roller coaster, opens at 
              Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey. 

April 3--
       1993:  {Wacky Worm} opens at Worlds of Fun, Kansas City, Missouri.  
       1971:  Opening Day for the final season at Palisades Park (Fort Lee, 
              New Jersey).  

April 4--
       1992:  {Drachen Fire,} designed by Arrow Dynamics, opens at Busch 
              Gardens Williamsburg.  
       1980:  The {Orient Express} steel roller coaster opens at Worlds of Fun 
              (Kansas City, Missouri).  Designed by Arrow Development, this 
              was the first coaster to employ the "Kamikaze Kurve" looping 
              element, now better known as a "Boomerang".   
[New!] 1998:  {Riddler's Revenge,} a stand-up coaster from Bolliger & 
              Mabillard, opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, 
              California. 
       2001:  Press day for {Nickelodeon Central}, a family-themed area at 
              Paramount's Kings Island.  New attractions include {Rugrats 
              Runaway Reptar Roller Coaster}, a junior-sized inverted coaster 
              from Vekoma, and {The Wild Thornberrys River Adventure}, a 
              rebuild and re-theme of the park's old {Kings Mill Flume}. 

April 5--
       1999:  A sensor failure results in a collision of two trains in the 
              station of {Thunder Road}, a wood racing coaster at Paramount's 
              Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina.  Seven people suffer minor 
              injuries. 
       2001:  {Flight of Fear} opens to the public at Paramount's Kings 
              Island.  It's the same ride that opened in 1996 as {The Outer 
              Limits: Flight of Fear} but for the 2001 season, the 
              over-the-shoulder restraints were removed from this electrically 
              launched indoor looping coaster. 

April 6--
       1984:  Old Orchard Beach in Maine is auctioned.  
       2001:  {Nitro}, a non-looping speed-coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard, 
              opens at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. 

April 7--
       1939:  Now known as the {Texas Tornado,} the {Cyclone} roller coaster 
              opened in Morecambe, England.  The coaster was originally built 
              in 1937 for the Paris Exposition by Charles Paige, Harry Traver, 
              and Leonard Thompson.  
       1992:  Death of Carl Theel, founder of Theel Manufacturing.  

April 8--
[New!] 1990:  {Viper}, a gigantic multi-looping coaster from Arrow Dynamics, 
              opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California. 
       1993:  The {Dreamflight} ride opens at de Efteling, Kaatsheuvel, The 
              Netherlands.  

April 9--
       1988:  {Amazon Falls,} an Intamin Shoot-The-Chute ride, opens at Kings 
              Island (Kings Mills, Ohio).  
       1993:  {Top Gun,} a suspended coaster designed by Arrow Dynamics, first 
              opens at Paramount's Kings Island.  
       1997:  An after-hours fire destroys the Fiberglas shop building at 
              Morgan Manufacturing, LaSelva Beach, California.  No one was 
              hurt, but two clay carousel figure sculptures were destroyed, 
              along with several carousel parts and a trade-show booth. 

April 10--
       1981:  Cambridge Properties, owners of Boblo Island, files for 
              bankruptcy  
[New!] 1985:  Governor John Ashcroft declares Looney Tunes Town to be 
              Missouri's newest town at Six Flags over Mid America, Eureka 
              Missouri.  Present for the dedication ceremony were town 
              founders Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester, Foghorn Leghorn and 
              Yosemite Sam. 
       1993:  {Thunderation,} designed by Arrow Dynamics, opens at Silver 
              Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.  

April 11--
       1987:  The {Vortex} 6-loop roller coaster, designed by Arrow Dynamics, 
              opens at Kings Island (Kings Mills, Ohio).  

April 12--
       1984:  The rides at Six Gun Territory (Silver Springs, Florida) are 
              auctioned.  

April 13--
       1920:  The dance hall at Celoron Park (Chautauqua Lake, New York) is 
              destroyed by fire.  
       1979:  Press day for the {Beast} at Kings Island, Kings Mills, Ohio.  
       1988:  Sparks from a welding torch ignite a fire on the second floor of 
              the Hotel Breakers at Cedar Point, causing $80,000 damage. 
       1991:  {Adventure Express,} the first Arrow Dynamics Runaway Train to 
              be built in the U.S. in a decade, opens at Kings Island, Kings 
              Mills, Ohio.  

April 14--
       1995:  The  World of Coasters officially opens on the World Wide Web.  
       1979:  {The Beast} first opens at Kings Island, Kings Mills, Ohio.  
              {The Beast} is the World's Longest Wooden Roller Coaster with 
              7,400 feet of track.  

April 15--
       1983:  Tokyo Disneyland opens.  
       1989:  After only one year of operation, Kentucky Kingdom (Louisville, 
              Kentucky) is auctioned.  
       2000:  The classic Loof carousel from Whalom Park, Fitchburg, MA, is 
              broken up and sold at auction.  Auction proceeds were about 
              $500,000. 

April 16--
       1994:  Peony Park (Omaha, Nebraska) auctioned.  
       1996:  Rides at Rocky Point Park (Warwick, Rhode Island) auctioned.  

April 17--
       1999:  {Tennessee Tornado}, a looping coaster from Arrow Dynamics, 
              opens at Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. 

April 18--
       1993:  The {Whirlwind} looping roller coaster opens at Knoebel's 
              Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania. 
       1996:  42 (of 58) elevator inspectors in New York City, New York are 
              suspended without pay for alleged misconduct/suspected bribery.  
              Some of those suspended also serve as amusement ride inspectors 
              for the city.  
       1998:  A mechanical failure causes a train on the {Demon} at Six Flags 
              Great America to become stalled and jammed in a vertical loop, 
              leaving riders stuck upside-down for a couple of hours. 
       1999:  The {Exterminator}, an indoor, themed, spinning-car "Crazy 
              Mouse" roller coaster, opens at Kennywood, West Mifflin, 
              Pennsylvania. 

April 19--
       1924:  Death of Paul Boyton, founder of Sea Lion Park (Coney Island, 
              New York).   
       1947:  The United States Immigration Department allows ferry service 
              from Amhertsburg, Ontario to Boblo Island to recommence.  
              Service had been stopped to prevent illegal aliens from easy 
              entry to the United States through Boblo Island during World War 
              II. 
[New!] 2003:  A riot breaks out at Lake Winnepesaukah park, Rossville, 
              Georgia, just outside Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

April 20--
       1993:  Kumba, designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, opens at Busch Gardens 
              Tampa.  
       1996:  The wooden theming structure of the Vekoma {Colorado Adventure} 
              mine train at Phantasialand (Bruhl, Germany) catches fire.  
              About 1/8 of the structure is damaged; welding sparks from 
              efforts to complete theming installation are suspected.  
       1997:  Fatal accident on the {Wildcat} steel coaster at Bell's 
              Amusement Park, Tulsa, OK.  A car disengaged from the lift 
              prematurely, the anti-rollback failed, and the car rolled 
              backward down the lift, colliding with another car.  One rider 
              was killed, others were injured. 
       2002:  Misbehaving concertgoers at Paramount's Great America, Santa 
              Clara, California, roam through the park starting fights.  To 
              avert a riot, the park closes several hours early. 

April 21--
       1981:  Press day for {The Bat,} a prototype suspended roller coaster 
              from Arrow/Huss, at Kings Island (Kings Mills, Ohio).  
       1986:  Pirate Island Amusement Park (Ft. Walton Beach, Florida) 
              auctioned.  

April 22--
       1908:  The remains of Chutes Park (Chicago, Illinois) are auctioned.  
       1989:  The Herschell-Spillman carousel at Rocky Point Park (Warwick, 
              Rhode Island) is auctioned.  
       1998:  {Disney's Animal Kingdom} opens at Walt Disney World. 

April 23--
       1983:  The {Thunder River} rapids ride opens at Six Flags over Mid 
              America.  
       1988:  The {Jetline} roller coaster opens at Grona Lund (Stockholm, 
              Sweden).  

April 24--
       1907:  M. S. Hershey officially dedicates Hershey Park, Hershey, 
              Pennsylvania. 
       1961:  Fire destroys the (1900) bandshell at Kennywood.  Nearby 
              {Pippin} roller coaster (John Miller/1924...now the 
              {Thunderbolt} by Andy Vettel/1967) narrowly escapes damage.   
       1965:  Three children are killed and two are injured when a tub comes 
              off of a King "Flying Comet" amusement ride in Taylor Township, 
              Michigan. 
       1966:  Death of George M. Harton III, president of West View Park and 
              the last member of the Harton family active in the park's 
              operation.  
       1993:  The {Outlaw} wood coaster, designed by Custom Coasters 
              International, opens at Adventureland, Des Moines, Iowa.  

April 25--
       1990:  City Park Funland (Alexandria, Louisiana) is auctioned.  
       1998:  {Scooby's Ghoster Coaster}, the first Caripro Batflyer junior 
              suspended coaster in the US, opens at Paramount's Kings Island. 

April 26--
       1984:  Fire destroys part of the {Wildcat} roller coaster at Idora Park 
              (Youngstown, Ohio).  
       1992:  Death of Dewey Albert, co-founder of Astroland Park (Coney 
              Island, New York).  
       2001:  Press day for {Titan}, a Giovanola-built 'hypercoaster' at Six 
              Flags over Texas. 

April 27--
       1967:  La Ronde opens as the amusement area of Expo 67 in Montreal, 
              Quebec.  The park continues today. 
       1969:  Euclid Beach Park (Cleveland, Ohio) opens for its final season.  
       2001:  {Titan}, a Giovanola-built non-looping steel 'hypercoaster', 
              opens at Six Flags over Texas. 
       2001:  The last piece of track is placed for the new {Phantom's 
              Revenge} steel coaster at Kennywood, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. 
               In the tradition of the park's {Thunderbolt}, the new ride uses 
              some structure and parts from the {Steel Phantom}. 

April 28--
       1990:  The {Iron Wolf} stand-up roller coaster opens at Six Flags Great 
              America, Gurnee, Illinois. 
       1994:  The {Hurler} opens at Paramount's Kings Dominion, Doswell, 
              Virginia.  
       1995:  The {Viper} roller coaster opens at Six Flags Great America, 
              Gurnee, Illinois. 
       2000:  The long-delayed {Son Of Beast} 218-foot-tall wood roller 
              coaster with a vertical loop finally opens at Paramount's Kings 
              Island, Mason, Ohio. 
[New!] 2003:  LeSourdsville Lake Park, Middletown, Ohio, announces that it 
              will not open for the 2003 season.  The owner noted at the time 
              that he was not shutting diwn the park, but searching for a new 
              management team. 

April 29--
       1894:  Work begins to dismantle the Ferris Wheel used at the World's 
              Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.  
       1909:  A roller coaster under construction at Trout Park, Elgin, 
              Illinois was heavily damaged in a severe storm.  
       1972:  Kings Island first opens to the public.  
       1987:  Cedar Fair, L. P. commenced trading on the New York Stock 
              Exchange under the symbol FUN.  Cedar Fair owns and/or operates 
              Cedar Point, Valleyfair!, Dorney Park, Worlds of Fun, Knott's 
              Berry Farm, Knott's Camp Snoopy, Michigan's Adventure, and 
              selected other amusement park properties. 
       1989:  The relocated {Rolling Thunder} Intamin bobsled roller coaster 
              opens at Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Illinois).  
       1992:  Fun Village Amusement Park (Two Rivers, Wisconsin) auctioned.  
       1993:  State Fair Amusement Park (Springfield, Illinois) auctioned.  

April 30--
[New!] 2003:  {Superman: Ultimate Flight,} a 'flying coaster' from Bolliger & 
              Mabillard, opens to the media at Six Flags Great America, 
              Gurnee, Illinois. 

                                 ---- May ----

May 1--
       1878:  Idlewild Park first opens.  
       1890:  Elitch Gardens first opens to the public.  
       1915:  Construction begins on the {Jack Rabbit} coaster at Luna Park, 
              Cleveland, Ohio. 
       1948:  The {Comet Jr.} roller coaster opens at the State Fair of Texas 
              in Dallas.  
       1988:  Standing rider thrown from {SooperDooperLooper} at Hersheypark.  
       1989:  Disney-MGM Studios opens at Walt Disney World, Florida.  
       2001:  A wooden roller coaster at Phantasialand Pleasure Park in 
              Bruehl, Germany catches fire.  36 people are injured, none 
              seriously. 
[New!] 2003:  {Top Thrill Dragster} opens to the media at Cedar Point.  With a 
              420-foot-tall tower and a top speed of 120 miles per hour, the 
              Intamin launched coaster is the world's tallest and fastest 
              roller coaster. 

May 2--
       1930:  Bankrupt <Luna Park>, Cleveland, Ohio is sold at a Sheriff's 
              auction to J. Harold Bramley, son of the park's president, for 
              $72,534.  Bramley expresses interest in reopening the park, but 
              lacks the funds...and the 1929 season proves to be the last for 
              Luna Park. 
       1992:  Death of Nancy L. Loucks, founder, editor, and publisher of {The 
              Carousel News and Trader.}  
       1997:  100 couples participated in a promotional stunt at Six Flags 
              Great America.  In a 7-minute ceremony, the couples, dressed in 
              formal attire, repeated their marriage vows, then, 12 couples at 
              a time, were hoisted 206 feet on the park's new Giant Drop ride 
              to 'take the plunge' together at 62 mph. 
       1998:  {Roar}, a wooden twister-style coaster from Great Coasters 
              International (GCI) opens at Adventure World, Largo, MD. 
       2002:  Press day for {Wicked Twister,} a double-twisting LIM-launched 
              Intamin inverted shuttle coaster at Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio. 

May 3--
       1975:  Kings Dominion opens, Doswell, Virginia.  
[New!] 1986:  Silver Dollar City in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee re-opens as 
              Dollywood. 
[New!] 2003:  {Superman: Ultimate Flight} opens at Six Flags Great America, 
              Gurnee, Illinois.  Built by Bolliger & Mabillard, it is a 
              'flying' roller coaster, with riders riding below the track in a 
              face-down position. 
[New!] 2003:  An 11-year-old girl chokes to death on a piece of candy while 
              riding the {Raging Bull} roller coaster at Six Flags Great 
              America, Gurnee, Illinois. 

May 4--
       1969:  Thousands of rioters roam through Fontaine Ferry Park, 
              Louisville, Kentucky, looting stands and injuring employees.  
       2000:  Press day for {The Legend}, a wood coaster from Custom Coasters 
              International located at Holiday World, Santa Claus, Indiana. 
[New!] 2003:  {Top Thrill Dragster}, a 420-foot-tall, 120-MPH launched roller 
              coaster from Intamin opens to the public at Cedar Point, 
              Sandusky, Ohio.  It opened as the tallest and fastest roller 
              coaster in the world. 

May 5--
       1911:  Birth in Los Angeles, California of Dave Bradley, co-founder of 
              amusement ride manufacturing company Bradley & Kaye.  
       1990:  {Avalanche Run}, an Intamin bobsled coaster, re-opens as 
              {Disaster Transport} at  Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio  
       2000:  Holiday World, Santa Claus, Indiana, uses its annual {Stark 
              Raven Mad} roller coaster riding event to give coaster 
              enthusiasts a preview of their new wooden roller coaster, {The 
              Legend}. 
       2002:  {Wicked Twister} officially opens to the public at Cedar Point, 
              Sandusky, Ohio. 

May 6--
[New!] 1950:  High winds damage the roller coaster at Muskego Beach Park, near 
              Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  After 1968 the park was known as 
              Dandelion Park. 
       1989:  The non-looping steel {Magnum XL-200}, designed by Arrow 
              Dynamics, and the world's first traditional coaster to exceed 
              200 feet in height first opens at Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio.  
       1995:  {The Raven,} designed by Custom Coasters, Inc., opens at Holiday 
              World.  
       2000:  {The Legend,} designed by Custom Coasters, officially opens at 
              Holiday World, Santa Claus, Indiana. 
       2000:  Participants in a company buy-out outing at Cedar Point, 
              Sandusky, Ohio, are the first paying customers to ride 
              {Millennium Force}, the Intamin-designed 310-foot-tall 
              'giga-coaster'. 

May 7--
       1950:  The Hershey Park Zoo reopened for the first time since its 
              closure during World War II. 
       1972:  Carrousel Circle at Hersheypark is dedicated, signalling a 
              re-birth of the park. 
       1994:  {Raptor,} designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, opens at Cedar 
              Point.  
       2001:  Cedar Fair, L. P. announces plans to purchase Michigan's 
              Adventure Amusement Park, Muskegon, Michigan. 
       2001:  William C. Deem, Chief Engineer for 51 years at the Eli Bridge 
              Company, dies at the age of 76.  Along with Lee Sullivan, he 
              designed the Scrambler and trailer-mounted Big Eli Ferris 
              wheels. 
[New!] 2003:  Death of Paul Roads, founder and owner of Wonderland Park, 
              Amarillo, TX.  Roads was 84 years old. 

May 8--
       1919:  Death of LaMarcus A. Thompson. 
       1975:  The antique carousel from Natatorium Park reopened at Spokane, 
              Washington's Riverfront Park.  

May 9--
       1992:  {Batman: The Ride,} designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, opens at 
              Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois.  

May 10--
       1915:  <Luna Park>, Cleveland, Ohio, takes delivery of its PTC 
              carousel.  After Luna Park closed, the carousel moved to another 
              park, then eventually ended up at Six Flags over Mid America 
              (Six Flags St. Louis) where it still operates today. 
       1968:  Riverview Park fails to open.  
       1991:  Crossroads Village, Flint, Michigan, opens its restored C. W. 
              Parker Superior Wheel ride.  
       1998:  The {Power Tower}, a 300-foot-tall cluster of two Space Shot 
              rides and two Turbo Drop rides from S&S Sports Power, officially 
              opens at Cedar Point. 

May 11--
       1902:  {S.S. Columbia} (Boblo Island ferry) launched from the Wyandotte 
              Yard of the Detroit Shipbuilding Company.  
       1906:  George Ferris' Wheel dynamited in St. Louis, Missouri.  
       1921:  The {Pippin} roller coaster at Riverview Park (Chicago, 
              Illinois) carries its first passengers.  
       1984:  Eight teenagers burned to death in the {Haunted Castle} 
              attraction at Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey.  
              When he entered a room in which the light had burned out, a boy 
              lit a cigarette lighter and accidentally ignited the 
              highly-flammable structure, which burned quickly. 
       1991:  {Mean Streak,} designed by Curtis Summers, opens at Cedar Point. 
               
       1991:  The {Sidewinder,} a Vekoma "Boomerang" production steel coaster, 
              opens at Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania.  
       1992:  Death of coaster designer Curtis D. Summers.  
       1996:  {Mantis} (The Coaster Formerly Known as {Banshee}) opens at 
              Cedar Point as the World's Tallest, Steepest, and Fastest 
              Stand-Up Roller Coaster.  
       1996:  {Wild Thing,} the first steel coaster produced by Morgan 
              Manufacturing, officially opens at Valleyfair!, Shakopee, 
              Minnesota.  
       1999:  The {Silver Comet} coaster is completed at Martin's Fantasy 
              Island, Grand Island, New York. 
       2000:  Press day for {Millennium Force} at Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio. 

May 12--
       1967:  Opening day of the final season for Riverview  
       1991:  The {Dragon} roller coaster opens at Adventureland, near Des 
              Moines, Iowa.  
       1994:  The {Pepsi Max Big One} opens to the press at Blackpool Pleasure 
              Beach. 
       2001:  Singer Perry Como dies at the age of 88 at his home in Jupiter 
              Inlet Beach Colony, Florida.  Como's career included a stint at 
              Conneaut Lake. 

May 13--
       1997:  Plagued by technical problems, {Test Track} misses its scheduled 
              opening date at Epcot, Walt Disney World. 
       2000:  {Millennium Force}, the first steel coaster to feature a 
              300-foot first drop, officially opens to the public at Cedar 
              Point, Sandusky, Ohio.  Built by Intamin AG, the ride is 310 
              feet tall and reaches speeds of 92 MPH. 

May 14--
       1904:  Dreamland Park opens, Coney Island, Brooklyn,  
       1999:  Press day for the new Intamin mega-coaster, {Superman: Ride of 
              Steel} at Six Flags Darien Lake, Darien Center, New York. 

May 15--
       1932:  Fire destroys several attractions at Central Park near 
              Allentown, Pennsylvania.  
       1993:  {Wild Mouse,} designed by Vekoma, opens at Idlewild Park in 
              Ligonier, Pennsylvania.  
       1999:  Intamin's first Mega-Coaster, {Superman: Ride of Steel} opens to 
              the public at Six Flags Darien Lake, Darien Center, New York. 

May 16--
       1903:  Thompson and Dundy's Luna Park opens on Coney Island, Brooklyn, 
              New York, to a crowd of 43,000 customers. 
       1964:  Lake Contrary Park, St. Joseph, Missouri, is auctioned.  
       1905:  Birth of actor Henry Fonda.  Fonda appeared in more than 100 
              films, and appears here for playing Simon Davenport in the 1977 
              film {Rollercoaster}. 
       1975:  Busch Gardens:  The Old Country (now Busch Gardens Williamsburg) 
              first opens, Williamsburg, Virginia.  
       1996:  {Montu,} a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster, officially 
              opens at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.  

May 17--
       1903:  The Zoological Gardens opens at Olentangy Park, Columbus, Ohio.  
              It's the first permanent zoo in Columbus. 
       1940:  The {Cyclone} roller coaster opens at Lakeside Park (Denver, 
              colorado).  

May 18--
       1905:  <Luna Park> opens, Cleveland, Ohio. 
       1912:  Birth of singer Perry Como.  Before his musical career, he was a 
              barber at the Conneaut Lake Park hotel...which is why he is 
              included here. 
       1924:  The wooden roller coaster at Dorney Park (Allentown, 
              Pennsylvania) opens.  The coaster was nameless for decades, but 
              is now known as the {Thunderhawk.}  
       2001:  {Phantom's Revenge} opens at Kennywood.  Using parts of the 
              {Steel Phantom} roller coaster (1991-2000), the new ride carries 
              on the tradition of reworking rides that Kennywood made famous 
              with their {Thunderbolt}. 
       2001:  {Cornball Express,} a steel-structured wood coaster from CCI, 
              opens at Indiana Beach, Monticello, Indiana. 

May 19--
       1852:  Birth of Dudley Sherman Humphrey II (1852-1933), president, 
              Euclid Beach Park.  
       1906:  Wolff's Park opens, Detroit, Michigan. 

May 20--
       1907:  New Lakeside Park Casino opened, Akron, Ohio.  
       1917:  A windstorm damages several buildings and the {Dixie Flyer} 
              roller coaster, delaying the scheduled opening of Summit Beach 
              Park, Akron, Ohio.  
       1963:  Dutch Wonderland first opens. Lancaster, PA.  
       1985:  Death of Carl E. Henninger, Kennywood Park's Chairman of the 
              Board.  
       1995:  The {Mind Eraser} (Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster) opens at 
              Adventure World. 

May 21--
       1907:  Birth of John Allen (1907-1979), an influential coaster 
              designer, especially for PTC.  

May 22--
       1948:  Crystal Beach {Comet} (now at Great Escape) first opens.  
       1984:  A car on {The Edge} (Intamin Freefall) at Six Flags Great 
              America broke loose from the lifting mechanism and dropped about 
              60 feet.  The three passengers, eighth-grade boys from LaSalle, 
              IL, were hospitalized for five days with relatively minor 
              injuries. 
       1992:  Fire destroys engineering section of Vekoma  
       1997:  Low-speed launch tests begin on {Mr. Freeze}, a Premier Rides 
              shuttle-loop magnetic-catapult coaster at Six Flags over Texas. 

May 23--
       1900:  William E. Sullivan opens his first ferris wheel, a 45-foot 
              12-seat model fabricated under contract by the Illinois Bridge 
              and Machine Company, Jacksonville, Illinois.  Operation license 
              posted in the name of "The Eli Bridge Co."  
[New!] 1976:  Premiere grand opening of the World of Sid and Marty Krofft 
              amusement park at the Omni International complex in Atlanta, 
              Georgia.  The park lasted only one season, and the facility is 
              now the headquarters of CNN. 
       1906:  West View Park first opens in West View, Pennsylvania (near 
              Pittsburgh).  
       1964:  {Blue Streak} (Allen/Hoover/PTC) opens, Cedar Point, Sandusky, 
              Ohio.  
       1981:  {American Eagle} opens at Great America, Gurnee, Illinois. 
       1981:  Canada's Wonderland opens in Vaughan, Ontario. 
       1986:  Lakemont Park (Altoona, Pennsylvania) re-opens as Boyertown, 
              USA.  
       1987:  Six passengers were injured when they bailed out of their 
              capsizing raft on {Canyon River Rapids} at Hersheypark.  Two 
              rafts had jammed together then a third ran into them.  The ride 
              was closed for nearly two weeks while that section of the trough 
              was modified. 
       1987:  Kentucky Kingdom opens in Louisville, Kentucky.  
       1998:  {Shivering Timbers}, a huge out-and-back wood coaster from CCI, 
              opens at Michigan's Adventure, Muskegon, Michigan. 
       1998:  {Great Bear}, an inverted steel coaster from Bolliger & 
              Mabillard, opens at Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania. 
       1998:  Visionland amusement park opens in Birmingham, Alabama. 
       1998:  {Rampage}, a CCI-built wooden roller coaster, opens at 
              Visionland, Birmingham, Alabama. 
       2000:  The Eli Bridge Company, builder of Ferris wheels and Scrambler 
              rides, celebrates its 100th Anniversary with a day-long party in 
              its hometown of Jacksonville, Illinois.  In honor of the 
              occasion, the company offered Ferris wheel rides for a 
              nickel...the admission price for William Sullivan's first wheel. 

May 24--
       1911:  Dreamland Park destroyed by fire.  
       1984:  Patrick Camp, age 5, falls from the {Cedar Creek Mine Ride} at 
              Cedar Point, and fractures his skull in the resulting 30' fall 
              to grass.  
       2001:  After more than 40 years of designing theme parks, the Duell 
              Corporation files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.  Its final project 
              was Bonfante Gardens in Gilroy, California. 

May 25--
       1968:  Inaugural performance in Cedar Point's {Golden Palace Theatre.}  

May 26--
       1928:  Fred Church's {Aero-Plane Coaster} opens at Playland, Rye, New 
              York.  
       1939:  Baron Stamp, Chairman of the L.M.S. Railway, officially opens 
              the new Casino (now known as The Wonderful World) at Blackpool 
              Pleasure Beach.  Designed by Joe Emberton, the new Casino 
              replaces the original, which was constructed in 1913. 
       1973:  Worlds of Fun opens in Kansas City, Missouri.  
       1985:  In an accident at Astroland Amusement Park on Coney Island, New 
              York, a twenty-nine year old man was killed when he stood up and 
              struck his head on a crossbeam while riding the {Cyclone}. 
       2001:  {X-Flight}, a Vekoma "Flying Dutchman" roller coaster that 
              carries riders in a nearly-prone position, opens to the public 
              at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure, the amusement park at Geauga 
              Lake, Aurora, Ohio. 

May 27--
       1905:  White City, Chicago, Illinois opens.  
       1911:  Coney Island's Dreamland Park burns to the ground. 
       1933:  The {Century of Progress} exposition opens in Chicago, Illinois. 
               The amusement rides included a {Cyclone} roller coaster 
              designed by Harry Traver.  
       1973:  The {Sky Streak} roller coaster opens at Boblo Island as the 
              {Thunder Bolt}. 
       1977:  {Space Mountain} opens at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  
       1993:  Pleasure Island Theme Park opens in Cleethorpes, England.  
       1994:  {Hoosier Hurricane,} a steel-structured wood coaster built by 
              Custom Coasters, Inc. (CCI) opens at Indiana Beach, Monticello, 
              Indiana. 

May 28--
       1899:  Akron, Ohio police raid the Casino at Lakeside Park after a 
              Sunday vaudeville performance.  
       1906:  Electric Park, Detroit, Michigan, opens, two days later than 
              planned. 
       1906:  Luna Park opens in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  
       1982:  Kings Island begins running one side of the {Racer} (1972:  John 
              Allen/PTC) backwards.  
       1988:  The carousel and bumper cars at Americana Amusement Park 
              (Middletown, Ohio) are destroyed by fire.  
       1994:  The 235-foot-high {Pepsi Max Big One} opens to the public.  
              1,000 members of the {235 Club} each paid 18 pounds for a 
              guaranteed first-day ride. 

May 29--
       1909:  Trout Park opens in Elgin, Illinois.  
       1926:  The {Amusement Department Store} opens at Coney Island, New 
              York.  
       1976:  Great America opens in Gurnee Illinois.  
       1976:  Great America(PGA) opens, Santa Clara, California.  
       1993:  {Blue Streak,} designed by Ed Vettel, Sr., rededicated at 
              Conneaut Lake.  

May 30--
       1905:  Oaks Park opens in Portland, Oregon. 
       1906:  Wonderland Park opens, Revere Beach, Massachusets.  
       1908:  Lakeside Park (Denver, Colorado) opens.  At the time, it was 
              known as "White City."  
       1921:  Weona Park opens in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania.  
       1924:  The {Pippin} roller coaster opens at Wildwood Amusement Park, 
              Mahtomedi, Minnesota.  
       1927:  Will Rogers performs at Hershey Park. 
       1929:  Two people sustained minor injuries when two trains on the 
              Hershey Park {Wild Cat} collided.  A loose rail had stalled one 
              train at the top of a hill. 
       1930:  {Cyclone Racer} (Church/Traver) opens at The Pike in Long Beach, 
              CA.  
       1938:  Amos Wiedrich is killed on the Crystal Beach {Cyclone,} that 
              legendary coaster's only fatality.  
       1972:  An accident occurs on the {Big Dipper} at Battersea in London, 
              England.  A train broke loose and rolled backwards down the 
              lift, colliding with a train in the station.  Five children were 
              killed, numerous other riders were injured. 
       1992:  Arkansas Twister opens at Magic Springs.  
       1998:  The Island Kingdom waterpark opens at Riverside Park, Agawam, 
              Massachusetts. 

May 31--
       1930:  Birth of Ron Toomer, who will be a noted roller coaster designer 
              and eventually president of Arrow Dynamics until his retirement 
              in 1998. 
       1983:  The {Extremeroller} (also known as {E.X.T.}) opens at Worlds of 
              Fun as North America's first stand-up roller coaster.  
[New!] 2002:  A fierce storm rips through Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, 
              Pennsylvania, destroying the Whip pavilion, killing one patron, 
              and injuring dozens of others. 
[New!] 2003:  ACE member Tamar Fellner is killed when she apparently stands up 
              and is thrown from the train on the {Raven} roller coaster at 
              Holiday World, Santa Claus, Indiana. 

                                 ---- June ----

June 1--
       1957:  The newly remodeled {Starlight Ballroom} opens at Hershey Park. 
       1968:  AstroWorld opens.  

June 2--
[New!] 1971:  Death of Christian Feucht at age 92.  The designer and builder 
              of Drop the Dip at Coney Island, NY, considered by some to be 
              the first high-speed roller coaster, Feucht purchased the Coney 
              Island Cyclone in 1928. 
       1989:  The {Magnum XL-200} at Cedar Point was officially measured for 
              inclusion in the 1990 {Guiness Book of World Records}  

June 3--
       1973:  A fifteen year old girl is injured when she is thrown from the 
              {Wild Mouse} at Boblo Island. 
       1988:  {Shockwave,} an Arrow Dynamics seven-loop coaster, officially 
              opens at Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois.  

June 4--
       1983:  Rides auctioned at Pine Lake Amusement Park, Caroga Lake, New 
              York.  
       1993:  (closed) Idora Park, Youngstown, Ohio, qualifies for listing on 
              the National Register of Historic Places. 

June 5--
       1971:  Six Flags over Mid America opens in Eureka, Missouri.  
[New!] 2003:  {Timberhawk}, the first wood coaster from S&S Power, opens at 
              Wild Waves and Enchanted Village in Federal Way, Washington. 

June 6--
       1868:  Birth of William George Bean, who with John William Outhwaite 
              formed the Blackpool Corporation.  The Blackpool Corporation 
              turned an impromptu 'country fair' into the Blackpool Pleasure 
              Beach. 
       1907:  The {Drop The Dip Railway} opened at Coney Island, New York.  
       1919:  Death of Fred Thompson, whose accomplishments included the 
              development of Coney Island's Luna Park and the {A Trip to the 
              Moon} attraction at the 1901 Buffalo Pan-American Exposition. 
       1959:  The {Submarine Voyage} ride opens at Disneyland, Anaheim, 
              California. 
       1978:  The {Loch Ness Monster} steel coaster with two interlocking 
              loops opens at Busch Gardens: The Old Country in Williamsburg, 
              Virginia. 
       1994:  Richard Rodriguez begins a fund-raising stunt for the Juvenile 
              Diabetes Foundation by boarding the {Big Dipper} at Blackpool 
              Pleasure Beach in an attempt to set a new world record for 
              continuous coaster riding. 
[New!] 2002:  After sitting idle for more than two years, Americana Amusement 
              Park in Middletown, Ohio re-opens with its historic name, 
              LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park. 

June 7--
       1967:  Six Flags Over Georgia opens in Atlanta, Georgia.  
       1970:  Birth of Dave Althoff, maintainer of the {Roller Coaster 
              Almanac} 8-)  

June 8--
       1905:  A number of attractions open at Indianola Park, Columbus, Ohio. 
       1994:  PTC and Morgan Manufacturing announce the sale of the Morgan 
              wood-coaster-train manufacturing operation to PTC.  
[New!] 2002:  {The Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain}, a unique 
              combination wood roller coaster and dark ride, opens at Indiana 
              Beach, Monticello, Indiana. 

June 9--
       1929:  Fatal accident on the {Pippin} coaster at Summit Beach Park, 
              Akron, Ohio.  
       1978:  {ACE Coaster Conference I} opens at Busch Gardens-The Old 
              Country.  
       1978:  Exclusive Ride Time (ERT) intruduced to ACE.  
       1978:  Fire destroys the {Ghost Train} ride at Luna Park, Sydney, 
              Australia.  Seven people died in the tragedy.  
       1980:  A sculpture commemorating Chicago's Riverview Park was unveiled 
              at the site of the now-defunct park.  
       1991:  "Black Sunday" at Kings Island.  One (intoxicated) woman died 
              when she fell from the {Flight Commander} ride; two men were 
              electrocuted trying to fish a third from a pond when a 
              circulating pump malfunctioned.  

June 10--
       1922:  LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park, LeSourdsville, Ohio opens.  
              LeSourdsville is just South of Middletown, and the park is now 
              known as Americana. 
       1968:  Maiden run of the Fairyland {Wildcat} coaster in Kansas City.  
              Designer Aurel Vaszin of NAD was on-board.  

June 11--
       1888:  Birth of Arthur Loof, designer of the Santa Cruz {Giant Dipper}. 
       1898:  First scheduled ferry excursion to Boblo Island. 
       1905:  Paragon Park (Nantasket Beach, MA) first opens to the public  
       1978:  ACE begins accepting memberships.  
       1989:  Carousel Park opens in Buffalo, Wyoming.  
       1992:  A five-year-old girl is thrown from the {Scenic Railway} roller 
              coaster at Dreamland in Margate, England  

June 12--
       1896:  The Columbus Street Railway Company opens Olentangy Park, 
              Columbus, Ohio. 
       1905:  Hotel Breakers opens, Cedar Point.  
       1909:  Death of Jacob Beller at age 85.  Beller's Beer Garden evolved 
              into Detroit's Palace Gardens Amusement Park. 
       1957:  Cedar Point Causeway opens.  
       1959:  A tornado damages the ferris wheel and {Greyhound} roller 
              coaster at Celoron Park at Chautauqua Lake, New York.  
       1976:  {Texas Cyclone,} designed by Bill Cobb, opens.  
       1978:  Two thirteen-year-old girls are injured at Boblo Island when the 
              {Sky Ride} car they are riding in sways, allowing them to fall 
              out. 
       1996:  The {Star Pavilion} officially opens at Hersheypark. 
       1996:  {Runaway Mountain} opens at Six Flags Over Texas. 

June 13--
       1884:  LaMarcus Thompson's {Switchback Railway} opens on Coney Island.  
              We've been riding roller coasters ever since. 
       1934:  Mrs. Knott began selling chicken dinners.  This eventually led 
              to the opening of the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park.  
       1968:  The {Big Coaster} at Arnold's Park was damaged by a tornado.  
       1990:  The re-built Kentucky Kingdom opens.  
       1991:  The Coney Island {Cyclone} was named to the New York State 
              Register of Historic Places.  
[New!] 2003:  A man falls about 30' from a chair-lift attraction at Knoebels 
              Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania.  Though he didn't plan 
              to fall 30', the man left the ride intentionally. 
[New!] 2003:  Virginia Knott Bender, daughter of theme park pioneers Walter 
              and Cordelia Knott and long-time director of Knott's Berry Farm, 
              dies at age 90 after a long battle with cancer. 

June 14--
       1930:  The Pier Ballroom at Celoron Park, Chautauqua Lake, New York was 
              destroyed by fire.  
       1974:  Ground breaking ceremonies for Marriott's Great America, Gurnee, 
              Illinois. 
       1986:  Fatal accident on the {Mindbender} coaster in the West Edmonton 
              Mall, Edmonton, AB.  A train on this Schwarzkopf multi-looper 
              derailed due to an equipment failure.  
       1987:  Two trains on the {Orient Express} looping coaster at Worlds of 
              Fun, Kansas City, Missouri, collide in the station, injuring 
              several people.  
       2000:  A suspicious fire destroys two buildings at the (closed) Rocky 
              Point Park, Warwick, Rhode Island.  The buildings were once a 
              bumper car ride and maintenance facility. 

June 15--
       1941:  The {Comet} opens at Forest Park Highlands, St. Louis, Missouri. 
       1963:  First Arrow Development log flume ride opens at Six Flags Over 
              Texas. 
       1963:  Birth of actress Helen Hunt, whose screen credits include the 
              role of Tracy Calder in the 1977 film {Rollercoaster}. 
       1982:  Old Chicago, an amusement park/shopping center combination, goes 
              on the auction block, but there are no bidders.  
       1985:  The {Phoenix} (ex {Rocket}, Playland Park, San Antonio, Texas) 
              opens at Knoebel's Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania.  
       2001:  Bonfante Gardens opens in Gilroy, California. 

June 16--
       1923:  Hershey Park's first roller coaster, {The Joy Ride,} built by 
              Herbert Schmeck and the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, opens.  
              It was later renamed {The Wild Cat} and operated until 
              September, 1945. 
       1992:  Demolition of CNE {Flyer,} designed by Davis & Mckee, begins 
              (continues through June 19, 1992).  

June 17--
       1971:  Disneyland in Anaheim, California greets it's  
       1975:  United States Patent #3,889,605, "Amusement Ride with a Track 
              Portion Following the Shape of a Helix" granted to Karl W. Bacon 
              and assigned to Arrow Development Corp. for the Corkscrew 
              coaster.  
[New!] 1978:  {Gemini}, a wood structured, steel-tracked dual-track figure-8 
              racing coaster from Arrow Development, opens at Cedar Point.  At 
              125' tall with a 55-degree first drop, {Gemini} is one of the 
              world's biggest and steepest coasters. 
       1987:  Fair Park, Nashville, Tennessee, is auctioned.  
       1987:  A woman is killed on the {Lightnin' Loops} roller coaster at Six 
              Flags Great Adventure.  That coaster is now the {Python} at 
              Adventure World.  

June 18--
       1890:  Fairview Park opens in Indianapolis, Indiana.  
       1898:  Daily excursion service to Boblo Island begins. 
       1936:  Boblo Island steamer {Tashmoo} hits a rock, makes for 
              Amhertsberg, and sinks. 

June 19--
       1913:  Two statues, one of a deer and one of a soldier, are placed at 
              the entrance to Hershey Park.  The deer quickly becomes a symbol 
              of the park. 
       1960:  Freedomland, a 201-acre American History theme park, opens in 
              the Bronx, New York. 
       1968:  The {Wildcat} at Fairyland in Kansas City opens to the public.  
       1975:  Fire destroys the {Ghost Ship} dark ride (former dance pavilion) 
              at Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.  The fire broke 
              out at 12:15 pm and damaged several nearby rides.  
       1998:  {Twisted Sisters}, the intertwined pair of wooden roller 
              coasters, open at Kentucky Kingdom, Louisville, Kentucky. 

June 20--
       1891:  (Albert William Austin's) River Park opens in Winnipeg, 
              Manitoba, Canada.  The park would last half a century. 
       1910:  Ballroom opens, Idora Park, Youngstown, Ohio.  Designed by Angus 
              S. Wade, it boasted the largest dance floor between New York and 
              Chicago. 
       1991:  Frontier Fun Park opens in Cherokee, North Carolina.  
       1998:  Nashville Shores waterpark opens in Hermitage, Tennessee. 

June 21--
       1886:  Coney Island, California, Ohio (near Cincinnati) opens.  
       1893:  The 250' tall Ferris Wheel opens at the World's Columbian 
              Exposition, Chicago, Illinois.  The Wheel had 36 tubs, each one 
              seating 40 passengers.  
       1932:  Birth of Boris "Lalo" Schifrin in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  A 
              prolific composer of film and television music, Lalo Schifrin's 
              credits include music for {Mission:Impossible, Mannix,} and of 
              course the film {Rollercoaster.} 

June 22--
       1895:  Euclid Beach first opens.  
       1906:  The old Casino at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is destroyed by 
              fire.  
       1907:  Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Casino opens  
[New!] 1962:  Death of Joseph A. McKee at age 74.  Long-time superintendent of 
              construction and maintenance at Palisades Park, McKee designed 
              the Giant Coaster, Cyclone and Wild Mouse at Palisades Park, and 
              the Flyer at the CNE park in Toronto. 
       1998:  Kentucky Kingdom, Louisville, Kentucky, suddenly becomes Six 
              Flags Kentucky Kingdom. 
[New!] 2002:  {Xcelerator,} a prototype hydraulically launched coaster from 
              Intamin, opens at Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, California. 

June 23--
       1931:  Workmen begin the destruction of Luna Park, Cleveland, Ohio, 
              starting with the ballroom.  Within a month, most of the park is 
              gone. 
       1989:  Upper Clements Family Theme Park opens in Clementsport, Nova 
              Scotia.  Included among the rides is the {Tree Topper,} Bill 
              Cobb's last wooden roller coaster.  

June 24--
       1941:  Coaster designer and inventor John A. Miller dies at age 66.  
       1983:  {Riverside Cyclone} (Bill Cobb) first opens at Riverside Park, 
              Agawam, MA.  

June 25--
       1994:  The (ex-Crystal Beach) {Comet,} designed by Herb Schmeck, opens 
              at The Great Escape, Lake George, New York.  
[New!] 2002:  Death of Richard J. Coulter.  Coulter was instrumental in 
              establishing amusement ride safety as a professional discipline 
              beyond ride maintenance. 

June 26--
       1927:  Coney Island Cyclone, designed by Vernon Keenan, opens.  
       1982:  Calaway Park opens in Calgary, Alberta.  
       1991:  The Coney Island {Cyclone} is officially designated a National 
              historic Landmark.  

June 28--
       1922:  Sunnyside Amusement Park opens in Toronto, Ontario.  
       2000:  Management control of Conneaut Lake Park, Conneaut Lake, 
              Pennsylvania, is awarded to the Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park 
              by a bankruptcy court judge.  The trustees are the park's 
              owners, but the park had been (mis?)managed by the Conneaut Lake 
              Park Management Group. 

June 29--
       1985:  Middle Country USA opened in Thorntown, Indiana.  The park is 
              now known as Old Indiana Fun Park.  
       1994:  The {Pepsi Max Big One} officially opens at Blackpool Pleasure 
              Beach. 
       1994:  Richard Rodriguez completes his twenty-third day of continuous 
              riding on the {Big Dipper} at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, an event 
              coinciding with the Official Opening of the {Pepsi Max Big One}. 

June 30--
       1977:  A tornado strikes Cedar Point, damaging structures and trees in 
              Frontiertown, and taking out a few trees on the future {Gemini} 
              site. 
       1978:  First CoasterMania opens at Cedar Point. Runs through July 2, 
              1978.  
       1995:  A fourteen-year-old girl died from a massive head injury caused 
              by a twenty-five foot fall from the Timber Wolf roller coaster 
              at Worlds of Fun, Kansas City, Missouri.  She was reported to 
              have been standing or kneeling at the time of the accident. 

                                 ---- July ----

July 1--
       1910:  The ferry "Trillium" begins service to Hanlan's Point Amusement 
              Park.  It would run until 1955 when it was taken out of service. 
               Restored in the 1970's, the ferry now runs to Toronto islands. 
       1942:  A fourteen year old girl falls from a Boblo Island ferry 
              gangplank and drowns. 
       1974:  Great Adventure Amusement Park opens in Jackson, New Jersey.  
       1981:  Paradise Lake opens near Middlebourne, Ohio.  The park operated 
              for only two seasons.  
       1986:  Death of Norm Scott, president of Arrow Dynamics, Inc.  

July 2--
       1892:  Rittersville Park (also known as Central Park) opens to the 
              public at a location between Allentown and Bethlehem, 
              Pennsylvania.  
       1904:  Riverview Park opens in Chicago, Illinois.  
       1927:  Revere Beach {Lightning,} one of the notorious Traver Cyclone 
              triplets, first opens in Revere Beach, Massachusets.  
       1973:  Jeff Putz, creator of CoasterBuzz, is born. 
       1988:  Lakemont Park re-opens as Lakemont Park after two seasons as 
              Boyertown USA.  

July 3--
       1861:  William E. Sullivan, founder of the Eli Bridge Company, is born 
              near Roodhouse, Illinois.  
       1897:  Squaw Creek Park (also known as Avon Park) opens in Youngstown, 
              Ohio.  
       1908:  A used Herschell-Spillman carousel is put into operation at 
              Hershey Park. 
       1919:  The 75' x 180' {Crystal Pool} opens to swimmers at Summit Beach 
              Park, Akron, Ohio.  
       1927:  Yvonne Salais is killed (either thrown out or jumped) by the 
              Revere Beach {Lightning}.  
       1975:  Coney Island {Cyclone,} designed by Vernon Keenan, re-opens.  
       1989:  At an amusement park in Santa Clara, California, a nine-year-old 
              boy was crushed to death when he tried to jump out of a 
              log-flume boat he was riding in, and became wedged under the 
              boat instead. 
       1998:  {Supreme Scream}, a 3-tower Turbo Drop ride from S&S Sports 
              Power, opens at Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, California. 

July 4--
       1895:  Sea Lion Park opens, Coney Island.  
       1906:  Dellwood Park opens in Joliet, Illinois.  
       1911:  {Race Thru The Clouds} opens in Venice, California.  At the 
              time, it was the world's largest racing coaster.  
       1913:  The {Lightning Racer} opens at Redondo Beach, California. 
       1917:  Summit Beach Park, Akron, Ohio, opens to the public.  
       1925:  The {Giant Dipper} opens at Belmont Park/Mission Beach in San 
              Diego, California.  This Prior & Church-designed coaster is the 
              only surviving example of the Prior & Church {Bobs} coaster.  
       1926:  Knoebel's Amusement Resort opens in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. 
       1976:  Libertyland opens in Memphis, Tennessee.  
       1978:  The {Tornado} roller coaster opens at Adventureland near Des 
              Moines, Iowa.  
       1984:  The ill-fated Six Flags Autoworld opens in Flint, Michigan.  
       1986:  The Lake Compounce {Wildcat} re-opens after a major overhaul 
              (supervised by Charles Dinn) and a change in ownership to HERCO. 
               
       1997:  {Skloosh!}, a Hopkins Shoot-The-Chute ride, opens at Knoebel's 
              Amusement Resort. 

July 5--
       1918:  Birth of showman Phineas Taylor Barnum. 

July 6--
       1960:  Demolition of the {Sky Ride} coaster begins at Summit Beach 
              Park, Akron, Ohio.  The coaster had stood idle for nearly two 
              years.  
       1967:  Equipment from Lakeside Park, Dayton, Ohio auctioned.  

July 7--
       1903:  The site for Hershey Park is chosen and 150 acres are reserved. 
       1918:  Fatal accident on the {Over The Top} coaster at Summit Beach 
              Park (Akron, Ohio) kills four riders; injures eleven more.  
       1984:  A woman dies in a fall from the {Rail Blazer} roller coaster at 
              Six Flags over Mid America.  
       1994:  A computer failure allows two trains on the {Pepsi Max Big One} 
              to collide near the station at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.  A 
              number of passengers suffered injuries, mostly minor, but no one 
              was killed. 

July 8--
       1924:  Birth of ride designer Anton Schwarzkopf. 

July 9--
       1958:  Death of Fred Pearce, park and coaster designer, in a fall from 
              a ride catwalk.  Pearce pioneered the use of creosoted treated 
              lumber in the construction of wood coasters.  His coasters 
              included the Springlake Park {Radio Streak} and the Summit Beach 
              {Dixie Flyer,} both in Akron, Ohio.  
       1996:  Time Warner, Inc. announces plans to build a Six Flags theme 
              park in North Stonington, Connecticut, on the Connecticut-Rhode 
              Island border. 

July 10--
       1977:  The New York City Landmarks Commission votes to make Coney 
              Island's {Parachute Tower} a historic landmark. 
       1985:  The {Z-Force} roller coaster, an Intamin {Space Diver} model, 
              opens at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois.  

July 11--
       1969:  The {Timber Mountain Log Ride} opens at Knott's Berry Farm.  
       1984:  A three-day auction of Rocky Springs Amusement Park begins in 
              Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  
       1984:  ACE convention begins at Crystal Beach, Ontario.  
       1998:  {Drachen Fire} mysteriously closes at Busch Gardens 
              Williamsburg. 

July 12--
       1898:  Midway Park opens in Maple Springs, New York.  
       1992:  A fire tore through the remains of Lincoln Park, N. Dartmouth, 
              Massachusets.  The {Comet} roller coaster, a band shell, and a 
              gift-shop building were reported to be the only survivors.  

July 13--
       1929:  Hershey Park officially opened its new swimming facilities. 
       1993:  Eight people suffered minor injuries when two sets of cars on 
              the {Demon} roller coaster collided at Six Flags Great America, 
              Gurnee, Illinois.  The accident happened in the station just 
              before 7:25pm; the speed of the moving train was about 3 mph. 

July 14--
       1990:  ACE first Preservation Weekend at Conneaut Lake and Lakemont 
              Park.  

July 15--
       1886:  Lake Park (now Lagoon Park) opened in Farmington, Utah.  
       1904:  Fatal accident on the {Loop-The-Loop} at Celoron Park, 
              Chautauqua Lake, New York.  Two riders fell from the car on this 
              early looping coaster when it rolled back out of the loop.  One 
              of the victims died two days later; the fate of the other is not 
              known.  A third rider was able to hold on and stayed with the 
              car.  
       1950:  Summit Beach Park (Akron, Ohio) Ballroom destroyed by fire.  
       1990:  Kings Island greets its 50-millionth guest.  
       1995:  {EuroStar}, Oscar Bruch's Intamin portable inverted looping 
              coaster, fails to open on-time.  

July 17--
       1937:  The {Ice Drome} opens at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.  Designed by 
              Joe Emberton, the {Ice Drome} replaced the 1909 roller-skating 
              rink. 
       1955:  Disneyland in Anaheim, California opens.  
       1989:  {Splash Mountain} officially opens at Disneyland, Anaheim, 
              California. 
       1991:  The {Ultimate} opened at Lightwater Valley in England, as the 
              World's Longest Roller Coaster with 7,524 feet of track.  

July 18--
       1990:  Fun City Amusement Park, Cheyenne, Wyoming auctioned.  
       1992:  {Jupiter,} designed by Summers & Intamin, opens in Kijima, 
              Japan.  {Jupiter} is Japan's first wooden coaster.  
[New!] 2002:  Custom Coasters International (CCI) abruptly closes up shop and 
              ceases doing business, leaving at least one coaster project (the 
              New Mexico Rattler at Cliff's Amusement Park) unfinished. 

July 19--
       1902:  Schlitz Park opens in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  

July 20--
       1817:  The first double, circular racing slide opened in Paris.  
       1963:  Most of Forest Park Highlands, St. Louis, Missouri, burns to the 
              ground. 
       1985:  {Le Monstre,} a dual-tracked wooden coaster, opens at La Ronde, 
              in Montreal, Quebec.  
       1985:  A Superior Court jury in Tom's River, New Jersey cleared Great 
              Adventure, Inc. and Six Flags Corp. of all charges brought in 
              the aftermath of the May 11, 1984 {Haunted Castle} fire at Six 
              Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey. 
       1995:  {EuroStar}, German showman Oscar Bruch's portable inverted 
              looping coaster (Werner Stengel/Oscar Bruch/Intamin AG) finally 
              opens in Dusseldorf, at the Schuetzenfest. 

July 21--
       1954:  Groundbreaking for Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  
       1991:  The votes are counted and the creation of Usenet's 
              {rec.roller-coaster} is authorized. 
       1991:  A teenage boy is killed and two girls are injured at the Myrtle 
              Beach Pavilion Amusement Park when the Ferris wheel seat they 
              are riding in tips over.  The trio was rocking the seat.  

July 22--
       1992:  Cedar Fair L.P. purchases Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdon for 
              $48,000,000.  
       1994:  {Zach's Zoomer} opens at Michigan's Adventure.  The coaster was 
              constructed by Custom Coasters International, and named after 
              the owner's two-year-old son.  
       2000:  The Grand Carousel at Whalom Park, Fitchburg, MA, re-opens to 
              the public.  The carousel was auctioned in pieces on April 15, 
              2000; the Whalom Park Carousel Association purchased the frame 
              and assembled a collection of figures to run on it. 

July 23--
       1894:  Disassembly of the Ferris Wheel from the World's Columbian 
              Exposition completed.  
       1977:  Hersheypark was forced to close its gates for the first time in 
              its history when more than 25,000 people packed into the park. 

July 24--
       1999:  The {Twister}, a wood coaster designed by John Fetterman, built 
              in-house, and loosely based on the original Elitch Gardens {Mr. 
              Twister}, opens at Knoebel's Amusement Resort, Elysburg, 
              Pennsylvania 
       2001:  Fire destroys six buildings at Calico Ghost Town, Yermo, 
              California.  The park was opened in 1951 by Walter Knott, and 
              later donated to San Bernadino County. 

July 25--
       1850:  Britain's Vauxhall Gardens closes.  This was one of the earliest 
              pleasure gardens, and was influential in defining the concept of 
              what we know as an amusement park.  

July 26--
       2001:  The remains of the long-idled wood coasters at long-closed Idora 
              Park, Youngstown, Ohio, are demolished. 

July 27--
       1998:  After more than a year of delays, the {Typhoon} compact looping 
              coaster from Top Fun finally opens at Santa's Village, East 
              Dundee, Illinois. 
       2001:  After sitting abandoned since 1984, the {Jack Rabbit} and 
              {Wildcat} roller coasters at Idora Park, Youngstown, Ohio, are 
              demolished. 

July 28--
       1907:  Steeplechase Park fire. George Tilyou posts his famous sign 
              about it:  {<To enquiring friends:>  I have troubles today that 
              I had not yesterday.  I had troubles yesterday which I have not 
              today.  On this site will be built a bigger, better, 
              Steeplechase Park.  Admission to the burning ruins -- Ten 
              cents.}  
       1907:  The {Drop The Dip Railway} at Coney Island was destroyed by 
              fire.  It was rebuilt  and continued to operate.  
       1934:  Streetcar service to Summit Beach Park (Akron, Ohio) ends.  
       1991:  Usenet's {rec.roller-coaster} is created. 

July 29--
       1953:  Death of Bob Ingersoll, operator of Lake Contrary Park, St. 
              Joseph, Missouri.  
       1974:  "America Sings" attraction opens at Disneyland in Anaheim, 
              California.  
       1995:  Fourteen people are injured when the {Hell Hole} ride...a 
              Rotor...owned by an independent concessionaire on Coney Island 
              in New York City, New York, suffers a catastrophic structural 
              failure.  The ride is permanently closed. 

July 30--
       2001:  Death of prolific steel coaster and amusement ride designer, 
              Anton Schwarzkopf. 
       2001:  A dozen riders are injured when a Chance "Chaos" partially 
              collapses at Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park, Muskegon, 
              Michigan. 

                                ---- August ----

August 1--
       1895:  The lift cable on an early Shoot-The-Chute ride in Chicago 
              breaks, causing the boat to slide back down the lift and into 
              the station where it injures 14 people.  Four of the victims die 
              from their injuries.  

August 2--
       1992:  A man riding the {Mean Streak} at Cedar Point had his right hand 
              outside the train as it entered the station.  His hand was 
              nearly severed when it was caught between the train and the 
              station platform.  
       1997:  A 45-year-old ride operator was killed when she accidentally 
              stepped off of the 3-story platform of the {Sidewinder} (Arrow 
              shuttle loop) coaster at Elitch Gardens, Denver, Colorado. 

August 3--
       1911:  Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk takes delivery of a new Loof 
              carousel.  
       1946:  Santa Claus Land (now Holiday World) first opens in Santa Claus, 
              Indiana.  
       1998:  {Volcano: The Blast Coaster}, the first suspended roller coaster 
              to be launched by linear induction motors, opened at Paramount's 
              Kings Dominion, Doswell, Virginia, after a two-month delay. 

August 4--
       1961:  Six Flags Over Texas opens.  

August 5--
       1929:  Last performance at the Lakemont Park Playhouse, Altoona, 
              Pennsylvania.  

August 7--
       1954:  Trolley service to Lakemont Park ends.  
       1998:  The {Doo Wopper}, a prototype Wild Mouse style coaster from 
              Zamperla, opens at Morey's Piers, Wildwood, New Jersey 

August 8--
       1929:  Fire destroys the stadium at <Luna Park>, Cleveland, Ohio. 
       1999:  Four children suffer minor injuries when an unsecured door on a 
              kiddie Ferris wheel causes the gondola to overturn. 
[New!] 2002:  Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Illinois) announces that, 
              contrary to earlier announcements, and due at least in part to 
              public outcry, they will NOT dismantle the {Whizzer} to make 
              room for a new coaster, but will take down {Shock Wave} instead. 

August 9--
       1995:  The {Antelope} at Gulliver's World carries its first trainload 
              of passengers.  

August 10--
       1816:  The {Russian Mountain,} the first slide to use wheeled sleds, 
              opened in Paris, France.  
       1909:  Fire erupts at Hanlan's Point, Ontario in the Gem Vaudeville 
              House.  The theater, several nearby buildings, and three roller 
              coasters are lost in the conflagration. 
       1997:  A veteran maintenance worker at AstroWorld (Houston, Texas) was 
              killed while working on the track of the {Excalibur} Runaway 
              Train when he was struck by an empty train. 
       2000:  Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, announces {Phantom's 
              Revenge}, the replacement for their {Steel Phantom} looping 
              roller coaster. 

August 11--
       1990:  The restored Belmont Park {Giant Dipper} roller coaster 
              re-opens.  
       1991:  A teenager dies on the ferris wheel at Fantasy Island in New 
              York.  
       1992:  Knott's Camp Snoopy and {Ripsaw,} designed by Zierer, open in 
              the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.  
       1996:  A miniature train de-rails at Old Indiana Fun Park in Thorntown, 
              Indiana.  One woman is killed; other riders are injured, and the 
              State of Indiana orders the park's rides  closed for up to 90 
              days for reinspection.  
       1999:  Three children suffer minor injuries when a miniature train tips 
              over at Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania. 

August 12--
       1951:  Kiddieland opens in Amarillo Texas' Thompson Park.  The park 
              later changed its name to Wonderland. 
       1995:  The all-standing Dentzel carousel at Riverside Park in 
              Logansport, Indiana re-opens in its new building.  

August 13--
       1991:  Lakeside Park, Royersford, Pennsylvania, is auctioned.  

August 14--
       1975:  Michael Boodley completes his 1,000th circuit on the Coney 
              Island {Cyclone} after 36 hours of riding.  Boodley went on to 
              design wooden coasters and is a co-founder of Great Coasters 
              International. 
       1987:  ACE holds Summercon '87 at Coney Island, Lake Compounce, Rye 
              Playland, and (defunct) Mountain Park.  

August 15--
       1843:  Tivoli Gardens opens in Copenhagen, Denmark.  
       1892:  Exposition Park opens at Conneaut Lake.  
       1982:  The {LaSalle's Riverboat Adventure} ride at Six Flags over Texas 
              closes.  
       1987:  The Schwarzkopf {Mindbender} at the West Edmondton Mall re-opens 
              fourteen months after a fatal accident and many modifications.  

August 16--
       1933:  A parachutist fell to her death at Idlewild Park, Ligonier, 
              Pennsylvania, when the balloon she was riding in collapsed.  
       1981:  An employee at Six Flags Great Adventure is killed when he falls 
              from {Rolling Thunder} during a morning test ride.  

August 17--
       1893:  First picnic held at Lakemont Park, Altoona, Pennsylvania.  
       1979:  Death of John Allen (1907-1979).  

August 18--
       1997:  Joseph L. Barnes dies at the age of 82.  He was the owner and 
              operator of Willow Grove Park and Woodside Park. 
       1998:  Santa's Village, Skyforest, California, is auctioned. 
       2000:  Ride-simulation film company Showscan Entertainment files for 
              Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. 

August 19--
       1925:  Fatality on the {Thunderbolt} at Coney Island.  

August 20--
       1998:  The {Mamba} roller coaster gives its 1,000,000th ride at Worlds 
              of Fun, Kansas City, Missouri. 

August 21--
       1993:  Restored car #1 of {Leap the Dips} presented to Lakemont Park by 
              ACE and PTC.  
       1996:  Death of Bob Moegerle, owner of Playland Park, Akron, Ohio.  
              Moegerle was 68.  
       1999:  Matthew Henne, a 16-year-old ride attendant, is killed when he 
              steps into the path of a moving ride at Lake Compounce Amusement 
              Park, Bristol, Connecticut.  The {Tornado} ride is an indoor 
              {Scrambler}. 

August 22--
       1936:  Birth of engineer and ride designer Werner Stengel. 

August 23--
       1902:  Canobie Lake Park (Salem, NH) first opens.  
       1904:  Ingersoll Amusement Company incorporated to build Luna Parks in 
              Cleveland, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 
       1916:  Much of Luna Park, Scranton, Pennsylvania, was destroyed by 
              fire.  Although it was re-built, the park soon closed.  
       1988:  An employee fell to his death on the {Cyclone} at Coney Island.  
              Witnesses said that he stood up and fell during the first drop.  
       1993:  {Canyon Blaster,} designed by Arrow Dynamics, opens at Grand 
              Slam Canyon.  

August 24--
       1965:  At Boblo Island, a car on a ride called {The Bug} breaks free, 
              killing one rider and injuring eight. 
       1988:  Rocky Glen Park, Moosic, Pennsylvania, is auctioned.  
       1996:  Jennifer Coleman is awarded $775,000 for an injury sustained on 
              July 13, 1993 when she was riding the {Demon} roller coaster at 
              Six Flags Great America.  The collision jolted her resulting in 
              {aqueductal stenosis}, a brain condition which results in fluid 
              accumulation due to a blocked duct. 
       2001:  Amusement ride manufacturer Vekoma files for bankruptcy 
              reorganization in the Netherlands. 
       2001:  Press day for {Deja Vu}, the first of the Vekoma Super Inverted 
              Boomerang coasters, at Six Flags Magic Mountain. 

August 25--
       1990:  ACE celebrates National Coaster Day.  
       2001:  {Deja Vu}, the first Vekoma Giant Inverted Boomerang coaster 
              opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain, several months behind 
              schedule. 

August 26--
       1926:  The first Kiddie Day at Hershey Park.  Children age 15 and under 
              had two hours of free rides. 
       1953:  The {Flyer} (Joe McKee) opens at the Canadian National 
              Exposition (CNE).  The {Flyer} was demolished in 1992.  
       1984:  Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky closes.  

August 27--
       1984:  A two-day auction of Beech Bend Park begins in Bowling Green, 
              Kentucky.  
       1997:  The train on the {Scirocco} shuttle loop (Schwarzkopf) at Walibi 
              Wavre (Wavre, Belgium) suffers a mechanical failure and gets 
              jammed upside-down in the loop.  Passengers were left hanging 
              from their lap bars for about 90 minutes. 

August 28--
       1990:  A tornado tore through Plainfield, Illinois, destroying the 
              auditorium building from the defunct Electric Park.  It was the 
              last remaining building from the park, and was being restored.  
              Also lost was the last surviving Chutes boat from Chicago's 
              Riverview Park; it had been stored at the Electric Park site.  
       1997:  The {Scirocco} roller coaster at Walibi Amusement Park near 
              Brussels, Belgium suffers an unusual failure which causes the 
              Schwarzkopf shuttle-loop's train to stall upside down in a 
              vertical loop. 

August 30--
       1951:  Birth of actor Timothy Bottoms, whose film credits include the 
              role of "Young Man," the bomber/extortionist in the 1977 film 
              {Rollercoaster}. 
       2001:  Press day for the long-delayed {Deja Vu} coaster, a Vekoma Giant 
              Inverted Boomerang, at Six Flags over Georgia. 

August 31--
       1910:  Glenn Curtiss flies a biplane from Euclid Beach to Cedar Point 
              and back, setting a new over-water aviation distance record.  
       2001:  A 25-year-old woman suffers a seizure and dies after a ride on 
              {Montezooma's Revenge} at Knott's Berry Farm. 

                              ---- September ----

September 1--
       1941:  River Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada closes. 
       1991:  Custom Coasters, Inc. opens its doors for business. 
       2001:  {Deja Vu}, the long-delayed Vekoma Giant Inverted Boomerang 
              coaster, opens at Six Flags Over Georgia. 

September 2--
       1946:  Crystal Beach {Cyclone} closes forever.  Demolition began on 
              9/16/46.  
       2001:  The wire rope used to haul trains up the lift on {Millennium 
              Force}, a 310-foot-tall roller coaster at Cedar Point, breaks 
              during morning test runs, stranding a trainload of park 
              employees near the top of the lift.  Nobody was hurt, but the 
              incident made headlines and took the ride out of service for a 
              week. 

September 3--
       1909:  The {Hershey Press,} a weekly newspaper printed in the Hershey 
              Park printing office, is first published. 
       1973:  Columbia Gardens, Butte, Montana, closes after 74 years of 
              operation.  
       2001:  A bear cub was found sleeping under the roller coaster at 
              Lakeside Park, Denver, Colorado. 

September 4--
       1967:  Riverview Park closes.  
       1978:  Ohio's Chippewa Lake Park closes.  Portions of the coaster are 
              still standing.  
       1989:  Crystal Beach Park closes.  

September 5--
       1910:  Hershey Park's miniature railway first runs. 
       1977:  West View Park closes what turns out to be its last season.  
       1997:  A 13-year-old boy is injured while helping his father repair a 
              wood coaster at Stricker's Grove (Ross, Ohio).  He was struck by 
              a train and fell through the track six feet to the ground. 

September 6--
       1971:  Coney Island (OH) closes.  Taft Entertainment purchased Coney 
              Island, constructed a new park on higher ground, and moved many 
              of the ride pieces to the new location, Kings Island.  Today, 
              Coney Island still operates as a major picnic facility. 

September 7--
       1916:  Summit Beach Park Company incorporated.  
       1933:  Death of Dudley Sherman Humphrey II, President of Euclid Beach 
              Park.  
       1997:  Four passengers on the {American Eagle} racing coaster at Six 
              Flags Great America are slightly injured in a low-speed 
              collision on the brake run.  The train coupler failed between 
              the second and third cars, allowing the train to separate and 
              cars to bump together. 
       1998:  {Mr. Toad's Wild Ride} closes at Walt Disney World's Magic 
              Kingdom, Reedy Creek, Florida. 

September 8--
       1990:  Long Point Park, Geneseo, NY, auctioned.  

September 9--
       1984:  The minor collision in the station of two trains on the 
              {American Eagle} at Great America (Gurnee, Illinois) sends three 
              riders to a hospital.  
       2001:  The {Country Bears Playhouse} closes after 29 years at 
              Disneyland, Anaheim, California. 

September 10--
       2001:  A 7-year-old boy dies of internal injuries when the car he was 
              riding in "stopped short" on a {Flitzer} roller coaster owned by 
              Reithoffer Shows.  The incident happened at the York fair in 
              York, Pennsylvania. 

September 11--
       1887:  {Sliding Hill and Roller Tobboggan} opens, Haverhill, 
              Massachusets.   

September 12--
       1927:  A standing rider was killed on one of Detroit, Michigan's 
              riverfront roller coasters. 
       1971:  The Palisades Amusement Park, located in Cliffside Park, New 
              Jersey, closed its gates for the last time before becoming an 
              apartment complex.  
       1990:  White Swan Park, Coraopolis, PA auctioned.  

September 13--
       1857:  Birth of Milton Snavely Hershey, founder of Hershey Park. 
       1995:  Milton S. Hershey is honored by being pictured on a United 
              States postage stamp. 

September 14--
       1922:  Aloha Amusement Park opens, Waikiki, Hawaii.  

September 15--
       1964:  Freedomland Park files for bankruptcy. 
       1968:  Last day of operation for the {Cyclone Racer} (Church/Traver) at 
              The Pike, in Long Beach, CA.  
       1977:  A tornado rips through Fairyland Park in Kansas City, causing 
              extensive damage.  The park never re-opened, but the {Wildcat} 
              roller coaster survived.  It did not run again until it was 
              relocated to Frontier City (Oklahoma City) in 1991.  

September 16--
       1946:  Crystal Beach {Cyclone,} designed by Harry Traver, is 
              demolished.  Some parts of the legendary {Cyclone} were used in 
              the park's {Comet,} which today operates at The Great Escape.  
       1985:  Roseland Park (Canandaigua, New York) auctioned.  The {Skyliner} 
              roller coaster ended up at Lakemont Park (Altoona, Pennsylvania) 
              where it still runs today.  
       2001:  {Viper}, a Schwarzkopf weight-drop shuttle loop coaster, closes 
              at Six Flags over Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia.  The ride was moved 
              to Six Flags over Georgia in 1995 after operating as the {Tidal 
              Wave} at Marriott's Great America from 1978-1991. 

September 17--
       2001:  Visionary developer William Albert Koch dies at the age of 86.  
              Koch's accomplishments include the first theme park, Holiday 
              World (originally Santa Claus Land), the town of Santa Claus, 
              Indiana, a national park, and a devoted family. 

September 18--
       1902:  M. S. Hershey's attorney purchases the first of many tracts 
              which will be combined to form the town of Hershey, 
              Pennsylvania. 

September 19--
       1977:  Tom Rebbie starts working at the Philadelphia Toboggan Company 
              for $4.25 an hour.  In 1991, he would take over the company. 

September 20--
       1964:  Steeplechase Park, the last of the great Coney Island parks, 
              closes.  
       1994:  King's Castle Land Amusement Park (Whitman, Massachusets) 
              auctioned.  

September 21--
       1938:  A hurricane destroys several New England roller coasters, 
              including the {Thunderbolt} (Church/Traver, 1925) at Savin Rock 
              (West Haven, CT).  

September 22--
       1988:  Death of George W. Long, owner of Seabreeze Park (Rochester, New 
              York).  
       2001:  A rider is killed when she falls from a boat on {Perilous 
              Plunge,} a Shoot-The-Chutes ride at Knott's Berry Farm, Buena 
              Park, California. 
[New!] 2002:  A midnight fire at Wyandot Lake (Columbus, Ohio) destroys the 
              bumper car building and does $500,000 of damage to the park.  
              The adjacent {Sea Dragon} roller coaster is not damaged. 

September 24--
       1993:  Michael Moodenbaugh, owner of Boblo Island, critically injured 
              in traffic accident.  

September 25--
       1925:  Euclid Beach {Racing Derby} struck by lightning.  
       1960:  Sen. John F. Kennedy and Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson make a campaign 
              stop at Euclid Beach Park.  
       1995:  Fire destroys a maintenance building at Williams Grove, 
              Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.  The {Cyclone} suffered roughly 
              $15,000 damage.  

September 26--
       1961:  Death of Harry G. Traver, influential wood coaster designer and 
              builder, best known for the {Cyclone} triplets at Palisades 
              Park, Crystal Beach, and Revere Beach.  
       1981:  Rides and equipment from Edgewater Park (Detroit, Michigan) are 
              auctioned.   
       1984:  Hanson's Park, Harvey's Lake, Pennsylvania is auctioned.  
       1993:  Final operating day for Boblo Island, Amhertsburg, ON.  

September 27--
       1929:  Birth of Curtis D. Summers (1929-1992), influential wood coaster 
              designer responsible for {Hercules, Texas Giant, Mean Streak,} 
              and a number of other major wood coasters of the 1980's and 
              1990's.  
       1939:  The {Indian Theatre} at Blackpool Pleasure Beach catches fire 
              and burns to the ground.  Firefighters are able to prevent the 
              blaze from spreading to the nearby {Big Dipper}. 
       1961:  Death of roller coaster designer and mechanical engineer Harry 
              Guy Traver. 

September 28--
       1969:  Euclid Beach Park closes.  
       1983:  A fire at Dorney Park (Allentown, Pennsylvania) destroys PTC 
              Carousel #38 and several other rides and buildings.  
[New!] 2002:  {The New Mexico Rattler} opens at Cliff's Amusement Park in 
              Albequerque, NM.  It's the last wood coaster designed by Custom 
              Coasters International (CCI).  Cliff's had to finish 
              construction in-house when CCI quit business with the project 
              unfinished. 

September 29--
       1998:  In response to a fatal carnival accident (March 19, 1998), a 
              Travis County, Texas grand jury returns nine murder indictments. 
               It is the first time murder charges have ever been filed in a 
              ride accident case. 

September 30--
       1952:  The movie {This Is Cinerama,} which features footage of the 
              {Atom Smasher} coaster at Rockaway's Playland, opens at the 
              Broadway Theatre in New York.  
       1977:  West View Park announces that it is permanently closed.  
       1978:  The National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA) is 
              founded.  
       1993:  Investor Larry Benaroya gains control of Boblo Island in court 
              and officially closes the park.  
       1996:  Two trains collide on the {Eurostar}, the Intamin transportable 
              looping coaster, at the Munich Oktoberfest.  A block brake at 
              the end of the ride failed to release, causing a following train 
              to collide in the final trim brake. 

                               ---- October ----

October 1--
       1968:  United States Patent #3,403,633, "Amusement Ride", issued to 
              Anton Schwarzkopf for a ride we know as the {Bayern Kurve.}  
       1971:  Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom officially opens.  
       1979:  Groundbreaking ceremonies for EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World. 
               
       1982:  The Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, better known 
              as EPCOT, opens at Walt Disney World.  
       1994:  Elitch Gardens original location closes;  

October 2--
       1989:  Quassy Amusement Park (Middlebury, Connecticut) breaks up and 
              auctions its 1902 E. Joy Morris carousel.  
       1991:  Death of Arnold Gurtler, Chairman of the Board for Elitch 
              Gardens.  
       1999:  California governor Gray Davies signs legislation to require 
              State inspections of California's fixed-site amusement rides. 

October 3--
       1973:  West View Park Danceland destroyed by fire.  
[New!] 2002:  Death of Myron Hetrick. For 19 years, Hetrick was a railroad 
              superintendent for the Cedar Point and Lake Erie Railroad at 
              Cedar Point.  One of the locomotives, "Myron H." is named for 
              him. 

October 4--
       1922:  The Pippin Coaster Company signs its first concession agreement 
              with Luna Park Cleveland.  The company's first ride was John 
              Miller's {Pippin}.  Within a few years, the company agreed to 
              operate two other rides as well. 
       1935:  Luna Park (Sydney, Australia) opens.  

October 5--
       1985:  The first {Phoenix Phall Phun Phest} is held at Knoebel's 
              Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, in conjunction with 
              the fourth annual Covered Bridge Festival. 
       1988:  Noble Park Funland, Paducah, Kentucky, is auctioned.  The 
              Pinfari Zyklon coaster ended up at Americana Amusement Park in 
              Middletown, Ohio.  
       2000:  After 30 years in operation, Fun City Amusement Park, Sea Isle, 
              New Jersey, is auctioned. 

October 6--
       1846:  Thousands of people gather near Bristol, Connecticut to witness 
              the failure of a scientific demonstration.  The turnout inspires 
              Gad Norton to open the area to the public as a picnic park 
              called Lake Compounce. 

October 7--
       1991:  Groundbreaking for the MGM Grand Hotel and Theme Park in Las 
              Vegas, Nevada.  

October 8--
       1992:  The rides at Conneaut Lake Park are auctioned.  A group of local 
              investors is able to purchase most of the rides to keep them at 
              the park.  

October 11--
       1984:  Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom, Oakbrook Illinois is auctioned.  

October 12--
       1990:  ACE holds the 1990 Fall Conference at Belmont Park in San Diego, 
              California, and at Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.  

October 14--
       1945:  Milton Snavely Hershey, founder of Hershey Park, dies at the age 
              of 88. 

October 15--
       1990:  PTC carousel #18, previously at Roseland Park, reopens in its 
              new home in the Carousel Center Mall, Syracuse, New York.  

October 16--
       1982:  Olympic Park, Rochester, New York, is auctioned.  

October 17--
       1983:  One person is killed and two others are injured when a tub 
              breaks free from an Enterprise ride and falls to the ground at 
              the Texas State Fair in Dallas.  
       1986:  Vice-President George Bush visits Boyertown, USA (now Lakemont 
              Park), Altoona, Pennsylvania.  
       1989:  The rides from Crystal Beach Amusement Park are auctioned.  The 
              {Comet} roller coaster eventually ended up at the Great Escape 
              Fun Park, in Lake George, New York.  

October 18--
       1983:  Paradise Lake Amusement Park, near Middlebourne, Ohio, is 
              auctioned.  

October 19--
       1991:  Enchanted Forest, Chesterton, Indiana, is auctioned.  

October 20--
       1984:  A two-day auction begins to sell off Idora Park, Youngstown, 
              Ohio.  

October 21--
       1979:  Walt Disney World (Lake Buena Vista, Florida) greets its 
              100-millionth guest.  

October 22--
       1956:  Death of Herbert Schmeck, credited by {The Billboard} with 
              designing 210 roller coaster structures. 

October 23--
       1863:  Birth of Theodore Marshall (T. M.) Harton, early coaster builder 
              and founder of West View Park.  
       1894:  Euclid Beach Park Co. incorporated.  
       1927:  Fred Ingersoll, a former Detroit amusement park operator, dies 
              in an apparent suicide in Omaha, Nebraska. 
       1972:  The Hersheypark bandstand is demolished. 
       1982:  Holiday Beach, Douglas, Georgia is auctioned.  

October 26--
       1985:  Playland Park (Wasaga Beach, Ontario) is auctioned.  

October 28--
       1981:  Rides from Rocky Springs Amusement Park (Lancaster, 
              Pennsylvania) are auctioned.  

October 30--
       1893:  The World's Columbian Exposition officially closes in Chicago, 
              Illinois.  

October 31--
       1873:  Birth of Fred Thompson, who would develop Coney Island, New 
              York's famous Luna Park. 
       1878:  Birth of Fred Church, influential coaster designer particularly 
              noted for his {Bobs} coasters and his flexible, smooth-tracking 
              trailered cars. 
       1934:  Chicago's {Century of Progress} exposition closes.  
       2000:  Ramsi (born Ismar) P. Tick dies at age 75.  He was instrumental 
              in the (ultimately unsuccessful) effort to revive Crystal Beach 
              Park, Fort Erie, Ontario, in the 1980's. 

                               ---- November ----

November 1--
       1989:  Vollmar's Park (Bowling Green, Ohio) auctions off its rides.  
              The park continues to operate as a picnic park, with rides 
              brought in by a concessionaire.  

November 2--
       1998:  Knoebel's Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania, announces 
              that it plans to construct {Twister} for the 1999 season. 

November 3--
       1920:  Construction  begins on the {Pippin} roller coaster at Riverview 
              Park (Chicago, Illinois).  
       1925:  Detroit voters approve a proposal authorizing the condemnation 
              of the land under the city's riverfront amusement parks for use 
              as a public park. 

November 4--
       1988:  ACE holds its first Fall Conference at the West Edmonton Mall.  
       2000:  Longtime Chance Industries employee Ed Widger dies at age 78.  
              Widger was a design draftsman for the Allan Herschell Company 
              and moved to Chance in 1970 when Chance bought the Allan 
              Herschell company, working there until his retirement in 1997. 
       2001:  Death of Howard Berni, who was instrumental in the development 
              of Americana Amusement Park, Middletown, Ohio, after World War 
              II. 

November 6--
       1990:  A large portion of the backlot at Universal Studios Hollywood is 
              destroyed by fire.  
       1991:  Fantasy Farm Amusement Park (Middletown, Ohio) is auctioned.  

November 7--
       1899:  Riverview Park...later known as Fox River Park...opens in 
              Aurora, Illinois.  

November 9--
       1915:  Birth of (William) Walker LeRoy in Thunder Bay, Ontario.  A 
              long-time maintenance consultant for amusement parks 
              particularly in the Pacific Northwest, LeRoy was maintenance 
              superintendent for Oaks Park (Portland, Oregon) from the 1920's 
              until his death in 1999. 

November 10--
       1978:  Worlds of Fun (Kansas City, Missouri) unveils plans for the 
              {Timber Wolf} wooden coaster.  

November 12--
       1994:  Fire at (closed) Rocky Glen Park seriously damages {Comet} 
              (Allen, 1959) coaster.  

November 15--
       1909:  The Hershey's sign a deed of trust establishing the Hershey 
              Industrial School. 
       1932:  Summit Beach Park Company goes out of business after being 
              ordered into receivership.  
       1980:  {Big Thunder Mountain Railroad} opens at Walt Disney World's 
              Magic Kingdom.  
       1998:  Death of longtime Kings Island Public Relations Director Ruth 
              Voss. 
       2000:  Ron Toomer, Frederick Savage, and Jack Ray are inducted into the 
              IAAPA Hall of Fame. 

November 17--
       2000:  The Coney Island {Thunderbolt}, which had been standing but not 
              operating since 1983, is unexpectedly demolished by the City of 
              New York.  It was the last surviving 'twister-style' coaster in 
              the United States designed by John Miller. 

November 18--
       1997:  Chance Industries of Wichita, Kansas is awarded United States 
              Patent #5,688,178 for the ride known as {Chaos}. 
       1998:  Santaland, the first theme park within the Arctic Circle, opens 
              in Rovaniemi, Finland, inside a cavern blasted out of a 
              mountain. 

November 19--
       1867:  United States Patent #70,985, "Rotary Swing," granted to Isaac 
              N. Forrester.  This is the earliest patent for a vertical 
              pleasure wheel (Ferris wheel).  

November 22--
       1896:  George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., engineer and businessman 
              responsible for building the Ferris Wheel at the World's 
              Columbian Exposition, dies at the age of 37.  
       1997:  The first 300'-tall Skycoaster (the world's tallest when it 
              opened) opens at Million Dollar Mulligan's, Kissimmee, Florida. 

November 23--
       1988:  A 17-year-old girl was killed when the {Monster} ride she was 
              riding failed at the Broward County Fair in Florida.  The sweep 
              holding the car she was riding in snapped and fell about ten 
              feet to the ground; she was then struck in the back of the head 
              by an adjacent sweep.  Six other riders were treated, mostly for 
              minor injuries. 

November 25--
       1877:  Birth of Harry G. Traver (1877-1961),  

November 26--
       1985:  The {Castle Garden} dance hall at Dorney Park (Allentown, 
              Pennsylvania) burns in a fire.  

November 27--
       1982:  Funtown Amusement Park, Chicago, Illinois, is auctioned.  
       1991:  Tom Rebbie becomes the head of the Philadelphia Toboggan 
              Company, which becomes Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc.  Tom 
              Rebbie first joined PTC in 1977; PTC was established in 1904.  

November 29--
       1988:  Lincoln Park, North Dartmouth, Massachusets, is auctioned.  
       1992:  Death of Randall Duell, park designer responsible for layout of 
              Six Flags over Texas, Six Flags over Georgia, Astroworld, Darien 
              Lake, and others.  

November 30--
       1914:  Hershey Park announces that it will build a 6,000-seat 
              Convention Hall for the 1915 season. 

                               ---- December ----

December 1--
       1967:  Riverview Park rides auctioned off.  

December 2--
       1684:  Chief John Compound, his wife, and tribal members deeded the 
              land that would eventually become Lake Compounce Amusement Park, 
              recognized today as the oldest operating amusement park in 
              America. 
       1915:  The Hershey Print Shop in Hershey Park is destroyed by fire. 

December 3--
       1995:  Frank J. Sauzer, Jr., owner of (defunct) Sauzer's Kiddieland 
              dies, one day before the dismantling of the park's {Galaxie} was 
              complete.  
       1981:  Death of Walter Knott, founder of Knott's Berry Farm, at the age 
              of 91.  
       1998:  Death of "Mr. Kennywood," Anthony S. Sacramento, Kennywood's 
              long-time carousel manager, at the age of 81.  His funeral 
              procession went through the park and past the carousel. 

December 4--
       1939:  $3,000 awarded in settlement to the estate of Amos Weidrich, who 
              was killed by the Crystal Beach {Cyclone} on 5/30/1938.  
       1972:  Birth of Jim Serio Webmaster of the {World of Coasters}  

December 5--
       1901:  Birth of Walt Disney. 
       1997:  Texas State Highway 360 is renamed {Angus G. Wynne Jr. Freeway} 
              in honor of the founder of Six Flags Over Texas. 

December 6--
       1980:  ACE No Coaster Conference I ("Coaster Con 3-1/2").  
       1986:  Twin Lakes Amusement Park, Paris, Illinois, was auctioned.  

December 7--
       1994:  Rocky Glen {Comet}, designed by John Allen in 1959, is 
              demolished.  

December 8--
       1998:  {GhostRider}, a wood coaster from Custom Coasters International, 
              opens to rave reviews at Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, 
              California. 

December 9--
       1977:  Fire damages the motor house of the Coney Island Tornado and 
              destroys adjacent food and souvenir stands. 

December 10--
       1919:  Traver Engineering Company opens in Beaver Falls, PA.  

December 11--
       1938:  The skating rink at (closed) <Luna Park>, Cleveland, Ohio is 
              destroyed by arsonists.  It is the seventh arson attempt on the 
              old structure, and this time the arsonists are successful. 

December 12--
       1981:  Moxahala Amusement Park, Zanesville, Ohio, is auctioned.  
       1984:  PTC carousel #12, from Crystal Beach, Ontario, is auctioned in 
              pieces.  

December 13--
       1912:  Luna Park, Melbourne, Australia, opens on the site of the failed 
              Dreamland Park.  
       1977:  Another fire guts the adjacent haunted house and the station 
              structure of the already-damaged {Tornado} at Coney Island.  

December 14--
       1981:  Dreamworld, Gold Coast, Australia, opens.  
       1985:  The carousel from Paragon Park, Hull, Massachusets, is bought at 
              auction by a group of local businessmen for $598,800.  

December 16--
       1966:  Death of Walt Disney.  
       1987:  Severe weather forces a rare, unscheduled closure of three 
              southern California parks:  Knott's Berry Farm, Disneyland, and 
              Universal Studios.  
       1991:  Fire destroys the Fun House at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in 
              England.  
       1997:  Premier Parks announces that it will become the majority owner 
              of the Brussels, Belgium based {Walibi} theme park group. 
       1997:  Death of Lillian (Mrs. Walt) Disney. 
       1998:  Ratanga Junction Theme Park opens near Cape Town, South Africa.  
              Opening day attendance at the 24-ride park was 10,000. 

December 17--
       1963:  United States Patent #3,114,332, "Bobsled Amusement Ride," 
              issued to Karl Bacon and Edgar Morgan and assigned to Walt 
              Disney Productions.  The vehicle described in this patent is the 
              standard Arrow Runaway Train, still used for all Arrow 
              non-looping non-suspended coasters.  
       1990:  Death of Bill Cobb (1917-1990), designer of several major wooden 
              coasters of the 1970's-1980's.  
       1993:  {La Montana Rusa,} designed by NAD, re-opens as {Serpiente de 
              Fuego,} designed by NAD & CCI, at Bosque de Chapultpec which 
              re-opens as La Feria.  

December 19--
       1936:  The Hershey Sports Arena opens at Hershey Park. 
       1993:  The controversial Splendid China Park opens in Kissimmee, 
              Florida.  

December 20--
       1942:  The Hershey Park Zoo is closed.  The facilities are used to 
              raise ducks and chickens in support of World War II. 
       1971:  Death of Roy E. Disney.  

December 21--
       1946:  Trolley service in the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania ends.  
              Trolleys had been important in getting people to and from 
              Hershey Park. 

December 24--
       1998:  An eight-year-old boy suffers a concussion when he falls from a 
              carousel at Disneyland, Anaheim, California. 
       1998:  An employee is injured, a tourist is injured, and a tourist is 
              killed when a mooring cleat breaks from the deck of the 
              {Columbia} and flies into a crowd waiting to ride the 
              reproduction sailing vessel at Disneyland, Anaheim, California. 
       2001:  {X}, a prototype "Fourth Dimension" roller coaster with seats 
              that somersault during the ride, opens to season pass holders at 
              Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California. 

December 25--
       1985:  {Cannonball Run,} a Galaxie coaster, opens as the largest roller 
              coaster in New Zealand.  
       1989:  Esselworld, Gorai Island, India opens.  

December 26--
       1914:  Birth of actor Richard Widmark, who has appeared in more than 70 
              films.  Of particular interest is his performance as Agent Hoyt 
              in the 1977 film {Rollercoaster}. 
       1978:  Carol Florez, 5'3" tall and weighing 253 pounds, is fatally 
              ejected from the third drop of the {Colossus} racing coaster at 
              Magic Mountain, Valencia, California.  

December 27--
       1971:  Former Euclid Beach Suprise House burned.  
       1973:  Death of Irving Rosenthal, last owner of Palisades Park (Fort 
              Lee, New Jersey).  

December 28--
       1993:  Patent #5,272,984, "Amusement Ride of the Roller Coaster Type", 
              granted to Walter Bolliger & Claude Mabillard for the inverted 
              coaster design.  

December 31--
       1989:  Two carousel horses are stolen from Idlewild Park, Ligonier, 
              Pennsylvania.  The horses were later recovered.  

================================================================================

Send additions or corrections to Dave Althoff, Jr.
(dalthoff@capital.edu or dalloff@gcfn.org)

Thanks to Jeff Putz for hosting a World Wide Web version
as the "Roller Coaster Rollback".  Find it at:
http://www.coasterbuzz.com

You can have today's almanac entries on your web page; see www.coasterbuzz.com for details!

The complete text version of the Almanac is available from:

     http://capital2.capital.edu/admin-staff/dalthoff

The Roller Coaster Almanac is made possible by all of the people who
have generously scoured their archives to provide this information:
o Allan
o Dwayne L. Allen
o Amusement Today
o Ted Ansley
o Stan Barker
o Jim Barrick
o Rick Becker
o Richard Bonner
o Christian Bray
o Chris L.
o Robert H. Brown
o Victor Canfield
o CoasterBuzz News
o The Colorado Skier
o Jared Costanza
o Steve Elliott
o Gary Flinn
o Jim Futrell
o Doug Garner
o Tony Gonzalez
o Michael Graham
o Eric Greer
o Eric Griswold
o Matthew Hooper
o Keith Hopkins
o Will Johannson
o David Johnson
o Brandon Kelly
o Kevin
o Ulrich Kleinpoppen
o Rick Knoebel
o Steve Konopa
o Matt Lynch
o Shawn Mamros
o Tim Melago
o Amiel Mercado
o Tony Milano
o Michael M.
o National Amusement Park Historical Association
o Roy Oakley
o Carl Panko
o Gordon Peterson
o Brian Plencner
o Jeff Putz
o Robert Reagan
o Tom Rebbie
o Larry Ellis Reed
o Andrea RePass
o Bradley Rund
o Mike Schulte
o Joe Schwartz
o Jeffrey Seifert
o Eike Sintram
o Jeffrey Stanton
o Richard Sussman
o Kevin Teufer
o Daved Thomson
o Jeff Tolotti
o Robert Ulrich
o Jill Unglaub
o Jim Westland
o Kevin White
o Jim Wolgamuth

Copr. 2003, Dave Althoff, Jr.