In The Loop

When 17th century Russians built 20-m-high ice slides for their amusement, they had no idea what they were pioneering. But those early prototypes — carrying squealing thrill seekers on wooden sleds for several hundred feet — were an inspiration to 20th century engineers, and the result was the roller coaster. The U.S. once led the roller coaster field, but as new challengers have shown, no country has a monopoly on thrills. Here are some of our favorites, from Ohio to Taichung.

Millennium Force Ohio
This isn't the world's...