Inventor
Who invented the ferris wheel?
George Ferris
When was his invention launched?
June 21, 1893
It was previously a railroad center and offered a guarantee of $10 million
How many people did the first model carry?
60 people
The ferris wheel
What was his previous job?
Engineer with steel
Was it a success in the beginning?
Yes
What was the ferris wheel trying to mimic the view of?
The view from the Eiffel Tower
How much did the axle weigh?
89,320 pounds
What is the name of the reporter who explained what the first ferris wheel experience was like?
Robert Groves
When was he born?
February 14, 1859
What fair was the ferris wheel at first?
Chicago World Fair
What landmark did the inventors want the ferris wheel to be taller than?
The Statue of Liberty
How many feet was the first model measured?
250 feet in diameter
1.5 million people
How much of his own money did he spend on the ferris wheel? (safety studies, hired more engineers, recruited investors)
25,000$
What year was the fair
1893
How many cars were in the first model?
36
How high was the top of the first ferris wheel?
140 feet in the air from the top
How many weeks did it operate?
Where did George grow up?
Galesburg, Illinois
Why did the fair take place?
400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s voyage to America
How many parts were in George Ferris's design of the ferris wheel?
100,000 parts
Where was the first ferris wheel moved to?
North Clark Street near the Chicago Fair grounds
What kind of company and sold it to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis?
a wrecking company