1939 World's Fair

 

5 Things You Didn't Know About The 1939 World's Fair

On April 30, 1939, the  New York  World’s Fair opened in  New York City. The opening ceremony, which featured a speech by President  Franklin D. Roosevelt, ushered in the first day of television broadcasting in New York. Here are five things you didn't know about the 1939 World's Fair...

The Idea for the Fair Stemmed From the Great Depression Photo credit: By Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs divisionunder the digital ID gsc.5a02965. The idea to hold a monumental exposition in New York didn't form out of nothing. In 1935, while the Great Depression was still taking its prolonged toll on the economy and society, business leaders decided a large exposition or world's fair would help revitalize the area, both in terms of finances (due to increased labor and payment) and morale. The planners determined that creating a positive showcase for technology and the future could help the area survive the continued economic troubles.

63 Nations Participated In The Fair Spanning 1,200 acres at Flushing Meadow Park in Queens, the fairground was marked by two imposing structures–the “Perisphere” and the “Trylon”–and exhibited such new technology as FM radio, robotics, fluorescent lighting, and a crude fax machine. Sixty-three nations participated in the fair, which enjoyed large crowds before the outbreak of  World War II  interrupted many of its scheduled events.  It turned out to be the  best-attended event  of the first half of the 20th century,

The Fair Had the Original Futurama Yep. The popular TV show  Futurama  took its name from the Futurama exhibition at the 1939 World's Fair. This Futurama was a vision of what the world would look like 21 years later, in 1960. It was also called the World of Tomorrow (which was referenced at the beginning of the animated  Futurama, too) and contained a conveyor belt that carried observers around a model town, showing off technology. A color TV was demonstrated there, as was a robot that could smoke. (No, really, one of the advertised characteristics of this robot was that it could smoke.) There were predictions of technology like "rocketguns," meant to provide fast trans-Atlantic travel, and a decidedly suburban cast to the whole exhibit.

The Perisphere Contained the Longest Escalator in the World To enter the Perisphere and get a look at the exhibit inside visitors had to first enter the Trylon and take a ride up a custom made escalator. The escalator into the Perisphere was the longest electric escalator in the world at that time. Once visitors were done inside, they descended via The Helicline. The Helicline was a 950-foot-long, 18-foot-wide curved ramp with a mirrored underside, that led visitors back down to ground level. Since it was one of the highest open-air areas at the fair, the Helicline was a popular spot to take in views of the fairgrounds.

The Fair Gave Many European Culinary Stars a Way out of the Battle Zone A large portion of the fair was dedicated to food, both to innovations from existing American companies such as the Nabisco icebox cake and a fried version of the Taylor Pork Roll -- Wonder Bread had an entire pavilion and its own wheat field -- and to international displays meant simply for entertainment and gastronomical interest. An unexpected perk for chefs working at the World's Fair was that many of them were able to stay in the United States even as World War II was chewing up Europe. French chefs, in particular, benefited as the French pavilion's restaurant provided the basis for what would become established French restaurants in the U.S.

Thomas Edison was one of history's most influential inventors, but his ingenuity didn't end there. Edison taught his second wife, Mina Miller, Morse code so the two could secretly communicate with each other, even while the family watched. It went beyond that purpose when he actually proposed to Mina in Morse code. When the time came, Edison asked, -- --- ..- .-.. -.. -.-- --- ..- -- .- .-. .-. -.-- -- . ("Will you marry me?") to which she replied -.-- . .. "Yes." The two were married on February 24, 1886. Edison even nicknamed his two eldest children "Dot" and "Dash," a reference to the dots and dashes used in Morse code.