ROLLER COASTER DAY

In 1884, LaMarcus A. Thompson built a ride at New York's Coney Island to bring people out of the local beer gardens. The tracks carried individual cars that climbed 15 feet in the air and zoomed along at 4 miles per hour. People swarmed to Coney Island to try this novelty for a nickel a ride. Today, the fastest roller coaster is the Alpengeist at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA. It goes 67 mph - and it probably costs more than a nickel.