Turn of the Century

They say it all began in a game of one-upmanship.

Back in 1891, the director for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago told a group of engineers that he wanted something magnificent to outdo the French, who had built the Eiffel Tower for the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris.

George Washington Gale Ferris was in the audience. Later, over dinner, Ferris dreamed up his wheel.

That Ferris wheel debuted on June 21, 1893. It was 264 feet high--about 26 stories--had 36 cars to accommodate 2,160 people per trip and took 20 minutes for a complete revolution.

Now, 100 years later, memories are made on the bucket seats of big wheels; people have gotten married on them, others have climbed aboard to get into Guinness’ Book of World Records.

Roller coasters get faster and wetter. But Ferris wheels have pretty much stayed the same. And they just keep on turning.