On May 21 in 1819, bicycles are used for the first time in the United States. The imported "velocipedes," also known as "swift walkers," first appear in New York City. In August 1819 the city's Common Council passed legislation "to prevent the use of velocipedes in the public places and on the sidewalks of the city of New York."
—from The Illustrated Almanac of Science, Technology, and Invention