D. K. Smith

D. K. Smith

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NATIONAL MERRY-GO-ROUND DAY

NATIONAL MERRY-GO-ROUND DAY

July 25 is a day associated with carnival music and children’s laughter as we annually celebrate National Merry-Go-Round Day.

The merry-go-round (also known as a carousel) is an amusement ride that consists of a rotating circular platform with seats on it for its riders.  Its seats are traditionally in rows and are made up of wooden horses or other animals mounted on posts.  Many of the animals are made to move up and down to simulate galloping and are accompanied by circus music.

Names of the animals commonly consist of Galloper, Jumper, Roundabout, Horseabout and Flying Horses.

Any rotating platform may also be called a merry-go-round. On a playground, it is usually a child-powered rotating platform with bars or handles to which children can cling while riding.

The earliest known depiction of the merry-go-round is in 500 A.D. in the Byzantine Empire, which depicts baskets, carrying riders, suspended from a central pole.

In the 1840s, Franz Wiesenoffer created the first merry-go-round in the United States in Hessville, Ohio.

July 25, 1871 – The first carousel patent.

HOW TO OBSERVE

To celebrate, find a merry-go-round and have fun. They are for kids of all ages!  Post on social media using #MerryGoRoundDay.

HISTORY

In 2014, Bette Largent, President of the National Carousel Association, and carousel historian, Ronald Hopkins founded National Merry-Go-Round Day to shine a spotlight on these beautiful, historical creations that still bring joy to people of all ages.  The date commemorates the first U.S. patent issued in 1871 to William Schneider of Davenport, Iowa for the modern carousel.


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