When was the last World's Fair?

[EZ_E]

Reading Rey's post on his Columbus So Called Dollar and reading Tom's link started me thinking, "When was the last World's Fair?"

 

I've seen so called dollars from the '60's commemorating the Seattle Fair but I can't recall a fair in my lifetime.

 

Any answers for me?

 

Thanks.

[MunkyMan95]

If this is anything to go by, I think 2005. From WikiPedia:

 

The 1939 New York World's Fair and the 1949 Stockholm World's Fair represented a departure from the original focus of the expositions. From then on, Expos became more strongly based on a specific theme of cultural significance, and began to address issues of humankind. They became more future oriented and 'utopian' in scope. Technology and inventions remained important, but no longer as the principal subjects of the Expo. Tomorrow's World (New York, 1939) and Sports (Stockholm, 1949) are examples of these 'new' themes. Cross-cultural dialogue and the exchange of solutions became defining elements of the expos. The dominant Expo of this era arguably remains Montreal's 1967 Expo67. At Expo 2000 in Hannover, a program called 'Projects Around the World' brought together sustainable initiatives and solutions from all over the globe. Expo 2005 of Aichi was probably the most thematic Expo to date.

 

Here's a list of all the Expos:

 

1851 London (United Kingdom)

1855 Paris (France)

1862 London (United Kingdom)

1867 Paris (France)

1873 Vienna (Austria)

1876 Philadelphia (United States)

1878 Paris (France)

1879 Sydney (Australia)

1880 Melbourne (Australia)

1884 New Orleans (United States)

1888 Barcelona (Spain)

1889 Paris (France)

1893 Chicago (United States)

1896 Nizhny Novgorod (Russia)

1896 Budapest (Hungary)

1897 Brussels (Belgium) and Stockholm (Sweden)

1900 Paris (France)

1901 Charleston (United States)

1904 St. Louis (United States)

1905 Liège (Belgium)

1906 Milan (Italy)

1910 Brussels (Belgium)

1911 Turin (Italy)

1913 Ghent (Belgium)

1914 Lyon (France)

1915 San Francisco (United States)

1915 San Diego (United States)

1929 Barcelona (Spain)

1933 Chicago (United States)

1935 Brussels (Belgium)

1937 Paris (France)

1939 New York City (United States)

1939-1940 San Francisco (United States)

1958 Brussels (Belgium)

1960 Seattle (United States)

1962 Seattle (United States)

1964 New York (United States)

1967 Montreal (Canada)

1968 San Antonio (United States)

1970 Osaka (Japan)

1974 Spokane (United States)

1982 Knoxville (United States)

1984 New Orleans (United States)

1985 Tsukuba (Japan)

1986 Vancouver (Canada)

1988 Brisbane (Australia)

1990 Osaka (Japan)

1992 Seville (Spain)

1993 Daejeon (South Korea)

1998 Lisbon (Portugal)

2000 Hanover (Germany)

2005 Aichi (Japan)

2008 Zaragoza (Spain)

2010 Shanghai (China)

2012 Yeosu (South Korea)

2015 Milan (Italy)

[Dwaine]

I remember going to the 1982 Worlds Fair in Knoxville. I was 12 at the time.

[EZ_E]

Thanks for the info, Chad. I guess that they're just low key besides the fact that one hasn't been held in the US for 23 years. It just seems to me that the fairs of old were incredible attractions drawing millions of people. The only thing that seems to do that anymore is the Olympics.

[cpm9ball]

.............Expos became more strongly based on a specific theme of cultural significance, and began to address issues of humankind.

 

1964 New York (United States)

 

Yes! The "Brass Rail" was scattered throughout the fairgrounds and had footlong hot dogs for 10c and 24 oz. cups of beer for 25c.

 

An old gentleman by the name of Mr. Beers (no kidding!) was the manager of the Astor Hotel in Times Square. He knew every woman on Broadway and could get you a date in 5 minutes.

 

Would this be considered culturally significant?

 

Chris

[physics-fan3.14]

.............Expos became more strongly based on a specific theme of cultural significance, and began to address issues of humankind.

 

1964 New York (United States)

 

Yes! The "Brass Rail" was scattered throughout the fairgrounds and had footlong hot dogs for 10c and 24 oz. cups of beer for 25c.

 

An old gentleman by the name of Mr. Beers (no kidding!) was the manager of the Astor Hotel in Times Square. He knew every woman on Broadway and could get you a date in 5 minutes.

 

Would this be considered culturally significant?

 

Chris

 

Yes, very much so. Did you have a passionate affair with a Broadway chorus girl when you were younger? Bonus points if your family disowned you afterwards.

[WoodenJefferson]

I went to the Worlds Fair in San Antonio, Texas in 1968 and I can say that I was impressed but not overly excited because it was spread out over a rather large area and it was hotter than Hades.

 

HemisFair '68 was the first officially designated world's fair (or international exposition) held in the southwestern United States. San Antonio, Texas hosted the fair from April 6 through October 6, 1968. More than thirty nations hosted pavilions at the fair. The fair was held in conjunction with the 250th (sesquicentennial) anniversary of the founding of San Antonio. The theme of the fair was "The Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas."

 

 

I went to the top of the $5.5 million Tower of Americas and had a piece of cheese cake and coffee for $6.50, this was at that rotating restaurant up there. It revolved around the tower so you could see San Antonio from 360 degrees. (This was at a time when a McDonalds hamburger were still .35 a pop, talk about your basic sticker shock!)

 

Anyway, all I got was a lousy T-shirt and memories of seeing people from A to Zinc there. I don’t think they could have a fair like that these days in the United States, there was so many people traveling in their countries garb like, turbans, sari’s, obi’s, lion cloths, you name it, I saw it.

 

Tower of the Americas is still

standing in down town SA

 

[cpm9ball]

.............Expos became more strongly based on a specific theme of cultural significance, and began to address issues of humankind.

 

1964 New York (United States)

 

Yes! The "Brass Rail" was scattered throughout the fairgrounds and had footlong hot dogs for 10c and 24 oz. cups of beer for 25c.

 

An old gentleman by the name of Mr. Beers (no kidding!) was the manager of the Astor Hotel in Times Square. He knew every woman on Broadway and could get you a date in 5 minutes.

 

Would this be considered culturally significant?

 

Chris

 

Yes, very much so. Did you have a passionate affair with a Broadway chorus girl when you were younger? Bonus points if your family disowned you afterwards.

 

lol

 

No, but something did happen, and your comment hit very close to home.

 

Our Senior Class wanted to make the trip to NYC for the Fair, but Richard Montgomery High School would not sponsor the trip. So, we arranged to have some of the parents accompany us as chaperones. There was one female teacher who went with us (after she signed a release for the school), and 9 months later, she had a baby!

 

Chris

[EZ_E]

9 months later, she had a baby!

 

I don't get it. Is there a connection?

 

Just remember, it wasn't me, Papa "C"!

[cpm9ball]

9 months later, she had a baby!

 

I don't get it. Is there a connection?

 

Just remember, it wasn't me, Papa "C"!

 

Not me, either. I didn't fool around with older women in those days.

 

Chris

[EZ_E]

I had my 11th grade English teacher write me a love note once. She was my age now at 42. The difference is that I still look good!

[cpm9ball]

I had my 11th grade English teacher write me a love note once. She was my age now at 42. The difference is that I still look good!

 

That makes me think of that oft used adage, "If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all!"

 

You have a very pretty wife!

 

Chris

[EZ_E]

I got that sly, round-a-bout slam.