Nothing beats the thrill of riding on a Ferris wheel, does it? Wind in your hair, the zenith in your vision and the feeling of going down only to come up again — kind of like life, what say?
It all started when US engineers wanted to construct an architectural marvel that would rival the Effiel Tower and who else but American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham who was expected to rise to the task! While Burnham was giving orders left, right and centre in an attempt to inspire his team, it was George Washington Gale Ferris Jr who was struck with an idea — a giant observation wheel that would go round and round. Notice how we did not use any superlatives to describe his idea, that's because it was not unique, others had tried before. Maybe that's why Burnham rejected it. But when has rejection ever dithered those with an idea whose time has come?
Ferris Jr spent $25,000 from his own pocket, researched, hired engineers and basically, put all his might behind his idea. This is why the day June 21, 1893 has gone down in history — it was the day that the Ferris wheel was launched in all its glory.
