World's Fairs & Expos
Instructions: Step back into the age of optimism with trivia about the dazzling World's Fairs, from the 1939 Trylon to the 1964 Unisphere and Space Age wonders.
- 1.
What were the two iconic structures that served as the symbols of the 1939 New York World's Fair?
AThe Trylon and the PerisphereBThe Unisphere and the AtomiumCThe Space Needle and the MonorailDThe Crystal Palace and the Eiffel Tower - 2.
The 1962 World's Fair was held in Seattle, Washington. What was its futuristic theme?
ACentury 21 ExpositionBGateway to the FutureCDawn of the Space AgeDAmerica the Beautiful - 3.
Which famous landmark, still standing today, was built as the centerpiece of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair?
AThe Space NeedleBThe Gateway ArchCThe CN TowerDThe Transamerica Pyramid - 4.
The 1964 New York World's Fair featured the Unisphere, a giant stainless steel globe. How tall is it?
A140 feetB80 feetC200 feetD60 feet - 5.
At the 1964 New York World's Fair, which beloved Disney attraction made its very first appearance?
AIt's a Small WorldBThe Haunted MansionCPirates of the CaribbeanDThe Jungle Cruise - 6.
The theme of the 1939 New York World's Fair looked ahead to the future. What was that official theme?
AThe World of TomorrowBProgress and ProsperityCAmerica Looks AheadDThe Future Is Now - 7.
At the 1939 World's Fair, General Motors sponsored a hugely popular exhibit called 'Futurama.' What did it show visitors?
AA scale model of America as imagined in 1960BThe first working television broadcastCA miniature version of New York CityDRocket ships traveling to the Moon - 8.
At the 1964 New York World's Fair, which pavilion displayed Michelangelo's Pietà statue, on loan from the Vatican?
AThe Vatican PavilionBThe Italian PavilionCThe Spanish PavilionDThe Greek Pavilion - 9.
What city hosted the 1904 World's Fair, which also introduced many Americans to the ice cream cone?
ASt. Louis, MissouriBChicago, IllinoisCPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaDBuffalo, New York - 10.
The 1962 Seattle World's Fair included a working monorail that connected the fairgrounds to downtown Seattle. Is that monorail still in operation today?
AYes, it still runs and carries passengersBNo, it was torn down in the 1970sCNo, it was converted into a museum exhibitDYes, but only as a private tourist attraction - 11.
The 1964 New York World's Fair was held in which New York City borough?
AQueensBBrooklynCThe BronxDManhattan - 12.
At the 1964 World's Fair, Ford Motor Company debuted a stylish new sporty car that became an instant sensation. What was it?
AThe Ford MustangBThe Ford ThunderbirdCThe Ford FalconDThe Ford Galaxie - 13.
Which famous architect designed the Space Needle for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair?
AEdward Carlson and John Graham Jr.BFrank Lloyd WrightCMies van der RoheDEero Saarinen - 14.
The 1939 World's Fair introduced most Americans to their first glimpse of which remarkable new technology?
ATelevisionBThe telephoneCColor photographyDThe automobile - 15.
The 1939 World's Fair was also notable for premiering a product made from a brand-new synthetic fiber. What was that product?
ANylon stockingsBPolyester shirtsCRayon scarvesDAcrylic sweaters
Answer Key
The Trylon — a slender 610-foot spike — and the Perisphere — a huge white globe — stood together as the centerpiece of the 1939 fair, symbolizing the theme 'The World of Tomorrow.' Visitors could walk inside the Perisphere to view a diorama of a model city of the future.
The 1962 Seattle World's Fair was officially titled the 'Century 21 Exposition,' celebrating the space age and scientific progress. It drew nearly 10 million visitors over its six-month run.
The Space Needle was constructed specifically for the 1962 World's Fair and still towers over Seattle's skyline at 605 feet tall. Its futuristic flying saucer design became one of the most recognized landmarks in America.
The Unisphere stands 140 feet tall and weighs approximately 700,000 pounds, making it the largest global structure ever built. It was created by U.S. Steel as a tribute to the dawn of the space age.
Walt Disney debuted 'It's a Small World' at the 1964 World's Fair, where the boat ride was sponsored by Pepsi-Cola as a tribute to UNICEF. It proved so popular that Disney moved it permanently to Disneyland after the fair closed.
The 1939 fair's theme was 'The World of Tomorrow,' an optimistic vision at a time when America was still climbing out of the Great Depression. Exhibits showcased television, nylon, and other marvels that seemed like science fiction.
GM's 'Futurama' exhibit transported visitors on moving chairs over a detailed scale model depicting what American cities and highways might look like by 1960, complete with superhighways and skyscrapers. It was the single most popular attraction at the fair.
The Vatican Pavilion at the 1964 fair displayed Michelangelo's Pietà, the first time the precious sculpture had ever left Italy. Millions of visitors waited in long lines to view it, and it was protected behind bullet-proof glass.
The 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis is often credited as the place where the ice cream cone was popularized in America. Legend holds that a waffle vendor rolled his product into a cone shape to help an overwhelmed ice cream vendor next door.
Seattle's monorail — built in just eight months for the 1962 fair — continues to carry passengers between Seattle Center and Westlake Center today, making it one of the oldest operating monorails in the United States.
Both the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs were held in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, New York. The Unisphere, which was the symbol of the 1964 fair, still stands in that park today.
Ford unveiled the Mustang at the 1964 World's Fair on April 17, 1964, the same day it went on sale at dealerships nationwide. The car was an immediate hit — Ford had planned to sell 100,000 in the first year but sold over 400,000.
The Space Needle's design grew from a sketch on a cocktail napkin by World's Fair organizer Edward Carlson, which was then refined into a buildable structure by architect John Graham Jr. It was constructed in just over a year at a cost of $4.5 million.
RCA demonstrated television to the general public at the 1939 World's Fair, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first sitting U.S. president to appear on television. Most fairgoers had never seen a TV before that day.
DuPont introduced nylon at the 1939 World's Fair, showcasing it most famously in the form of women's stockings. Nylon was the first fully synthetic fiber ever created, and it quickly replaced silk stockings once it went on sale to the public in 1940.