Today we're going to discuss the history of the bicycle. Now, many people think the bicycle was invented in the 19th century, but in fact, the first two-wheeled vehicle, called a 'velocipede', appeared in France in the 1790s. However, it had no pedals; riders pushed their feet against the ground. The first pedal-driven bicycle was developed in Scotland in 1839 by Kirkpatrick MacMillan. Interestingly, the modern safety bicycle, with equal-sized wheels and a chain drive, wasn't introduced until 1885 by John Kemp Starley. This design became hugely popular because it was much safer and easier to ride than earlier models.