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The World’s Fair: New York 1964
The world was experiencing some tremendous changes in 1964. The Cold War was a major concern, the Space Race was starting to get interesting, the Civil Rights Movement was in motion, and The Beatles' appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show marked the beginning of Beatlemania in the United States. With all of the changes going on in the world in 1964, it was the perfect time for New York City to present a very special event – The 1964 World’s Fair.
The 1964 World's Fair was held for two years, with six month seasons each year, beginning on April 22, 1964. It was held at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York, which was also the setting for the World’s Fair in 1939 and 1940. The theme of the 1964 World’s Fair was "Peace Through Understanding" and it was dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe." The theme was symbolized by a twelve-story high, stainless-steel model of the earth called the Unisphere.
· Forum: forum with information on the 1964 World’s Fair
· World’s Fair: resource with information on the 1964 Fair
· Summary: recap of the National Geographic summary of the fair
Despite the plans for an elaborate World’s Fair, the organizers nearly saw their plans collapse. The Bureau of International Expositions (BIE), the governing body of World’s Fairs, had stipulations that a country could only host one fair during a 10 year period; since Seattle had already been named as a host city in 1962, the BIE refused to sanction the event and several countries including Canada, Australia, and the Soviet Union refused to participate. However, luckily the remaining countries and a multitude of corporate supporters were still able to present a memorable event.
· Problems: overview of the fair and problems
· Boycott Countries: information on World’s Fairs of the 1900s
Organizers were able to convince major companies in the United States to participate in the 1964 World's Fair; General Motors, IBM, DuPont, Westinghouse, and the Ford Motor Company were among the major companies that participated. They built elaborate exhibits that showcased their companies and the products that they offered, and each company used this opportunity to provide patrons with business promotional products to advertise for their businesses. Many of the exhibits were built in conjunction with the Disney Corporation, and when the event was over several were moved to the new Epcot Center in Florida as a tribute to the World’s Fair.
· Fair Information: company information and photos from the New York Fair
· Fair Technology: information on how the fair showcased industry technology
· Disney at the Fair: information on how Disney helped other displays
· Disney: resource displaying the Disney influence on the fair
Every country was not represented at the World’s Fair, but a large number of countries were represented. Each country created a pavilion that offered the food and reflected the culture of that country; Spain, Japan, Greece, and Mexico were among the countries that participated. In addition, the United States had a display for each state that highlighted the best products and services of that state.
· Pavilion Information: resourceful site depicting the various fair displays
· Countries At Fair: listing of countries involved in the World’s Fair
The fair ended in 1965 after its two year run. Some of the money earned from the fair went to build Shea Stadium, which was adjacent to the fair location. The fair produced substantially less money than expected, though, and this led to questions about its financial management. Even though the 1964 World's Fair had its share of problems, it had a lasting impact. Many of the buildings and objects of the fair are still standing, and others have been moved to new locations around the country.
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