In today's lecture, we'll discuss the history of the bicycle. The first two-wheeled vehicle, called the draisine, was invented in 1817 by Karl von Drais. It had no pedals; riders pushed their feet against the ground. In the 1860s, pedals were added to the front wheel, creating the velocipede, also known as the boneshaker due to its rough ride. The high-wheel bicycle, or penny-farthing, became popular in the 1870s, but it was dangerous because riders sat high above the ground. Finally, in 1885, John Kemp Starley introduced the safety bicycle, which had a chain drive and two equal-sized wheels, making it much safer and more practical.