What could be a bigger treat than a summertime, roller coaster ride? That fistful of fun debuted June 16, 1884 on Coney Island–home of the amusement park—and some say– the hot dog, too.

Twenty-first century entertainment festivals boast of blood-curdling, high-speed rides that challenge the imagination, and one’s facility to hold down food. But, when it was decided to update Coney Island’s 1927 Cyclone, the wooden structure was kept intact, and the speed was capped at 60 mph.

Adventuresome or risk adverse, the roller coaster is an integral part of American history. The Grateful American Book Prize recommends Scott Rutherford’s The American Roller Coaster.

 

 

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On July 17, 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor. It was a gift from France, America’s staunch ally during the Revolutionary War. Even though more than a century had passed since the Colonies had become an independent nation, France still chose to honor the United States and its exemplary democracy.

Designed by sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, and engineer Gustave Eiffel [Tower], the colossus arrived in “erector set” pieces–packed in 200 crates–that took more than a year to re-assemble. Lady Liberty was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland on October 28, 1886 at a ceremony on Bedloe’s Island, now known as Liberty Island, in New York Harbor.

The Grateful American Book Prize recommends Yasmin Sabina Khan’s Enlightening the World: The Creation of the Statue of Liberty.

 

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Sally Ride took the journey of her life when she boarded the Challenger on June 18, 1983 and became the first American woman in space.

How did she get the job? Ride answered a newspaper ad that had been placed by NASA, who was on the hunt for a mission specialist.

With her Bachelor of Science degree in physics, Bachelor of Arts degree in English, a Master of Science and doctorate in physics, the Agency determined she would make the ideal rocket scientist. Ride quickly mastered the maneuvers to man the robotic arm. During her historic six-day mission, she and the crew used it to place new satellites into orbit, and–retrieve one that had done its time.

For more information, the Grateful American Book Prize recommends Sally Ride and Susan Okie’s To Space and Back.

 

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History Matters is a biweekly feature courtesy of The Grateful American Book Prize.