The World's Fair
Unless you are over the age of 50 it is doubtful that you’ve ever been to a World’s Fair or Expo. I was fortunate to have gone to the one in New York in 1964, and I recall briefly visiting the Expo in Montreal.
As a child of 9 the World’s Fair was an exciting place where one could gaze into the future. Countries and corporations such as GM and IBM had exhibits there and it was something like Disney Land. I recall Disney had an exhibition hall as well. Buildings were built and landmarks were created such as the Unisphere and the Space Needle where they remain to this day. Many of the other buildings were torn down when the Fair was over.
Maybe I’d see it all differently today, but the impression I had of it at 9-years old is still with me today.
Whatever committee that selects where these Fairs will be was favorable to the US for the first 65 years of the 20th century, but we seem to have been excluded ever since. Here is a list of where they’ve been and where they will be until 2015. Hopefully all you young readers will eventually get to see one.
The list:
1904 St Luis
1933 Chicago
1939 New York
1962 Seattle
1964 New York
1967 Montreal
2000 Hanover, Germany
2005 Aichi, Japan
2010 Shanghai
2012 Yeosu, Korea
2015 Milan, Italy
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 4:00 AM
12 Comments:
so ...its random - when they hold them?
I just love driving by the huge globe and that space ship thing.
I've never been to one of those but I have seen Simon and Garfunkle in concert. Don't think I'll make it to Shanghai this year. Unless i go there to slap the turnips out of the guy who has been spamming my blog.
veri word: singsta- backup singer in a hip hop band
I went to the one in New Orleans in '84. The only thing I remember was the fireworks. Wasn't my idea of fun.
Weese, I like the fact that it was held in a town named Flushing.
Darev, wait until the Argentina hackers hit you. Rat bastards.
Syd, That one was totally off my radar. Thanks for bringing it up. I'm sure fireworks were the only thing worth remembering in 1984.
Century 21 - Seattle '62 was a gas for this 11 year old...riding the monorail, going to the top of the Space Needle and seeing the exhibits was a great adventure for me-my family didnt take trips together unless it was to Portland or Pendleton, so going to Seattle to something I read so much about and was all over the tv stations was one of the real highlights of my childhood.
This 7 year-old loved the '62 Seattle worlds fair. Grandma took me to the Space Needle AND I got ride the monorail!
Never been to a world fair. Just relics.
Anon and Mark, isn't it funny that when young punks like g go to the former fair grounds, they have no idea of the magic they missed and how special those things are that remain.
Don't forget the 1974 World's Fair - in Spokane. http://www.expo74.com/
Janet, Dang I thought I had done my research. Pretty cool, that was a small one.
Don't forget Brisbane, Australia in '88!
Dooh!
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