Roller skating has been a beloved pastime enjoyed by generations of kids and adults alike. It’s hard to believe that the first use of roller skates was in a London stage performance way back in 1743!
John Joseph Merlin, a London resident in 1760, deserves the credit for inventing the first skates. Roller skates have certainly come a long way since then!
In the United States, roller skating gained popularity as a pastime in 1935. But it wasn’t until the introduction of skating rinks playing disco music in the 1970s that roller skating became a huge trend. It seemed like everyone wanted to hit the rinks and groove to the music!

Speaking of roller skating, let’s take a trip down memory lane. Do you remember those heavy metal skates that you could attach to your shoes? They were quite the fashion statement back in the day. But there’s something else that you might remember if you were a skater before the 1970s – the iconic skate key.
This copper-colored object was an essential accessory for anyone with roller skates. At first glance, it may look like a bottle opener or some kind of tool, but it is actually a skate key. With the skate key, you could adjust the size of your skates by fitting it into the back of the pair. And to make sure they didn’t get lost while skating, most people wore the key around their necks. It was a small but significant part of the roller skating experience.
Skate keys were such an integral part of roller skating that there have even been songs written about them! They symbolize a time when roller skating was a cherished activity, filled with fun and memories.
So, do you remember skate keys? We’d love to hear your skating stories on our Facebook page. Let’s share this delightful blast from the past with others who may have fond memories of roller skating and skate keys too!
SОFIА VЕRGАRА АND JОЕ MАNGАNIЕLLО MАKЕ НЕАRТВRЕАKING АNNОUNСЕMЕNТ
Former Modern Family star Sofia Vergara is presently in Italy to celebrate her 51st birthday, and while there, she has been open and honest about the difficulties of aging.
Sofia Vergara celebrated her 51st birthday with her “best friends” in Italy, and while there she shаrеd a photo to Instagram that included the water as a backdrop and her makeup-free, picture-perfect face as the caption.
The former CoverGirl posted a series of Instagram photos during her birthday trip to Italy.
She lights firecrackers as candles, goes out to brunch with friends, and then gets serenaded at an exclusive restaurant to celebrate her birthday.

Her supporters were disappointed that her husband, Joe Manganiello, was noticeably absent from the celebrations.
But now reliable sources confirm what we suspected all along…
If you want to know what happened, keep reading down below.
Page Six has learned exclusively that Sofia Vergara and husband Joe Manganiello are splitting after seven years of marriage.
The couple told Page Six in a statement: “We have made the difficult decision to divorce. As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives.”
The “Modern Family” beauty is currently celebrating her 51st birthday in Italy with a posse of friends — but with no Manganiello or her wedding ring.
A source added: “Sofía and Joe have been growing apart for a while now and are taking some distance from each other to contemplate their future.”
Vergara paid Manganiello, 46, a visit on the set of his new film “Nonnas” starring Vince Vaughn last month in Hoboken, New Jersey.
The judge from NBC’s famous show “America’s Got Talent,” Vergara, is currently in Capri with her closest girlfriends and uploading sensual photographs on Instagram.
Fans on Instagram have noted Manganiello’s absence, and Sofia Vergara addressed it in an Instagram post with the caption, “When life gives u lemons u come to Italy to squeeze them.”

One wrote, “Is anyone else wondering where’s Joe?” while another said, “Wondering where her husband is, he hasn’t shown up in any of the photos of videos.”
Similarly controversial was an Instagram post by Manganiello wishing his wife a happy birthday with the simple message “!!Feliz Cumpleaos Sofa!!!” In Spanish: Feliz Cumpleaos a Sofia!
Another source told us: “At the start of Sofia’s big birthday trip those close to her were explaining away Joe’s absence with the excuse that he was busy filming back on the East Coast; that excuse barely held up due to the writers strike, but once the actor’s strike took effect, he could have been on the first flight… and he quite clearly is not.
“So now no one out there with her is even attempting to pretend that it’s not over. It’s over. It’s done.”
Vergara’s “Modern Family” co-stars Ariel Winter, Ed O’Neill, Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Julie Bowen, Sarah Hyland, and Ty Burrell were in attendance, as were Manganiello’s “True Blood” co-stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer. The wedding took place in Palm Beach, Florida, in November 2015.
Channing Tatum and Reese Witherspoon were also there.
Vergara, who has a son named Manolo, 31, with her first husband Joe Gonzalez, met Manganiello at a White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in 2014, when she was engaged to businessman Nick Loeb, through the actress’ former co-star Ferguson.

When the actress’s relationship with Loeb ended, Manganiello immediately texted her for her number.
Star of “Magic Mike XXL” said in 2020 issue of People magazine, “I knew fairly soon that I could trust her, and she knew pretty quickly that she could trust me. We are both selfless individuals who are able to prioritize the needs of our partner above our own.
Leave a Reply