By 1920, more than 1,500 roller coasters were operating in America, from The Fireball (the fastest roller coaster at the time with falling speeds reaching 70 mph and a height of 72 feet) to the Wildcat (with a 90-foot drop at a 60 degree angle, it's still the steepest wooden roller coaster ever built). Neither of them exists today. Coney Island's Cyclone is the closest remainder of the golden era of roller coasters, a thrilling, steep ride that's still a favorite almost eighty years after it was built.
The Great Depression put a staggering halt in the development of thrill rides, causing parks to close and coasters to be torn down. By 1939, 1,300 amusement parks had permanently closed across the country. The '50's and the baby boom gave way to a string of "Kiddie-coasters," a scale-down version of the ride that up until then had been restricted to grown-ups.
During the next decade, little was built that's worth mentioning today. The 70's, however, are a different story. Intamin, a Swiss firm that today leads the construction of the best roller coasters on the planet, came into play. Under the direction of Intamin and German designer Anton Schwarzkopf, Six Flags Magic Mountain opened the first of the new generation of roller coasters, the Great American Revolution. Topping 125-foot tall and with a vertical loop, it became an icon for the park and proof that thrill rides were entering a new era.
In the 80's, designers started experimenting with new ideas, including stand-up coasters, backward rides, and suspended cars, but a string of accidents put a halt on many of the new coasters hitting the market. Many rides opened and closed in the same season. Safer restraints and stricter regulations made the 90's the new golden era of roller coasters. With rides pulling up to 4G's (similar to what astronauts experience during training) and topping 200 feet, the stakes had never been higher.