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!
Jennifer Garner ‘proud to show off’ her boyfriend – and you might recognize him

Away from the public eye, Jennifer Garner, the Hollywood actress best recognized for her parts in movies like “13 Going on 30,” has been discreetly dating businessman John Miller. The 51-year-old actress and Miller, the CEO of CaliBurger, had an intermittent romance since divorcing Ben Affleck in 2018. The pair would rather remain anonymous, staying out of the spotlight and appreciating their “under-the-radar” connection.

Miller, a businessman and attorney who was born in 1978, was once vice president of intellectual property for Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals. From 2005 until 2014, he was wed to violinist Caroline Campbell, with whom he had a son and a daughter. Since they started dating five years ago, Miller and Garner have opted to keep their relationship under wraps and value a more personal, sincere bond.

Between August 2020 and the spring of 2021, the couple had a brief breakup, but they have been together ever since. Despite recent reports that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, Garner’s ex-husband, were getting married, Garner and Miller appear unfazed and are often spotted together, displaying their delight. The pair, who are said to be mutually beneficial, draws out the best in one another, taking pleasure in vacations and being at ease with the attention that their relationship is receiving.
According to insider reports from November 2023, Garner and Miller are doing well and have grown more confident in their partnership.
They are content to treasure their relationship without a formal label for the time being, but they are not in a rush to be married. Celebrity for her 50th birthday food drive with Miller and their kids, Garner enjoys the everydayness of dating an ordinary person. Miller is content to follow Garner’s lead, which makes their relationship all the more precious.
The news that Jennifer Garner is falling in love again has thrilled fans, and it will be interesting to follow their path as they continue to cherish their sincere and personal bond.
Leave a Reply