| 1964–1965 New York City | |
|---|---|
 Unisphere viewed from observation towers of the New York State Pavilion | |
| Overview | |
| BIE-class | Unrecognized exposition |
| Name | 1964–1965 New York World's Fair |
| Motto | Peace through Understanding[1] |
| Building(s) | Unisphere,[1] 139 pavilions, 34 concessions[2] |
| Area | 646 acres (2.61 km2)[3] |
| Visitors | 51,607,448[4][5] |
| Organized by | Robert Moses |
| Participant(s) | |
| Countries | 66[6][7] (80 including nations without full exhibits[1]) |
| Business | Nearly 350 companies |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| City | New York City |
| Venue | Flushing Meadows–Corona Park |
| Timeline | |
| Bidding | 1959[8] |
| Awarded | N/A[6] |
| Opening | |
| Closure | |
| Universal | |
| Previous | Century 21 Exposition in Seattle |
| Next | Expo 67 in Montreal |
| Internet | |
| Website | www |
The 1964–1965 New York World's Fair was an international expositionat Flushing Meadows–Corona Parkin Queens, New York City, United States. The fair included exhibitions, activities, performances, films, art, and food presented by 80 nations, 24 U.S. states, and nearly 350 American companies. The 646-acre (261 ha) fairground consisted of five sections: the Federal and State, International, Transportation, Lake Amusement, and Industrial areas. The fair was themed to "peace through understanding" and was centered on the Unisphere, a stainless-steel model of the Earth. Initially, the fair had 139 pavilions, in addition to 34 concessions and shows.
The site had previously hosted the 1939 New York World's Fair. Several businessmen devised plans for a 1964 fair in the 1950s, and the New York World's Fair 1964 Corporation (WFC) was formed in 1959. Although U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhowerapproved the fair, the Bureau International des Expositions never recognized it. Construction began in late 1960, and over a hundred exhibitors signed up for the fair over the next three years. The fair ran for two six-month seasons: April 22 to October 18, 1964, and April 21 to October 17, 1965. Despite initial projections of 70 million visitors, the fair had just over 51.6 million guests. After the fair, some pavilions were preserved or relocated, but most structures were demolished.
The fair showcased mid-20th-century American culture and technology. The different sections were designed in various architectural styles, though anyone could host an exhibit if they could afford to rent the land and pay for a pavilion. The fairground had several amusement and transport rides, as well as various plazas and fountains. The fair had 198 restaurants at its peak, and dishes served at these restaurants, such as Belgian waffles, were popularized through the fair. There were more than 30 entertainment events at the fair, in addition to 40 theaters and various music performances. Exhibitors also displayed sculptures, visual art, and artifacts, along consumer products such as electronics and cars. The contemporary press criticized the event as a financial failure. Nonetheless, the fair helped influence 21st-century technologies and popularized consumer products such as Belgian waffles and the Ford Mustang.
Development
The site of the 1964 World's Fair, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens was originally a natural wetland straddling the Flushing River.[13] The site was the Corona Ash Dumps in the early 20th century[14] before it was selected for the 1939–1940 World's Fair.[15] The 1939 fair was themed to "the world of tomorrow"[16][17] and was highly unprofitable, recouping only 32% of its original cost.[17][18] After the 1939 fair, the site was used as a park.[19][20] The development of the 1964 fair coincided with social upheavals in the early 1960s, including the civil rights movement, Vietnam War protests, and the aftermath of U.S. president John F. Kennedy's assassination.[21]
Planning
World's Fair Corporation
The idea for the 1964 fair was conceived by a group of businessmen.[22][23] Among them was Robert Kopple, a lawyer who first discussed the idea at a family dinner in 1958[23][24] before suggesting it at a meeting of the Mutual Admiration Society the following year.[25] The year 1964 was nominally selected to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the British conquest of the Dutch colony of New Netherland.[16][22][26]Kopple and two friends, Charles Preusse and Thomas J. Deegan, met with 35 potential financiers at the 21 Club restaurant.[27] New York City mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. and parks commissioner Robert Moses formally endorsed the proposal in August 1959,[28][29] and seventy-five businessmen formed the New York World's Fair 1964 Corporation (WFC) that month.[30] Moses offered to let the WFC use Flushing Meadows for a nominal fee.[27] The fairground would include not only the 1939 World's Fair site but also a part of the nearby Kissena Corridor Park.[31]
The bid still needed approval from the United States Congress and the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the French organization that was in charge of approving world's fairs.[32] With Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., submitting competing bids,[33][34] U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed a committee to review the 1964 world's fair bids in October 1959,[35][36] and Eisenhower approved the New York bid later that month.[8][37] Seventy-five nations had informally indicated an intention to attend the fair by late 1959,[38] and the WFC began looking for a president and three additional managers in early 1960.[39] Moses was tentatively selected as the WFC's president that March,[40] despite Kopple's objections that Moses was too old.[16][41] In turn, Moses would not take the job unless Kopple resigned,[42][43] as the two men had disagreed bitterly over the canceled Mid-Manhattan Elevated Expressway.[42][44]After Kopple quit the WFC,[43][45] Moses formally became the WFC's president that May.[46] Moses wanted the fair to run for two years,[47] and consultants for the WFC predicted that the fair would have 70 million visitors during that time.[48][49]
Moses traveled to Paris to ask for the BIE's recognition of the fair.[50] Although the BIE had allowed the WFC to begin planning the fair in November 1959,[51] BIE officials decided not to give formal recognition to the fair.[52] Under BIE rules, world's fairs could run for only one 6-month period,[53][6] though the WFC had tried to request an exemption.[54] The New York fair would also charge rent to foreign governments, contravening another BIE rule that prevented rent from being charged to exhibitors.[53]In addition, the BIE allowed only one exposition per country every ten years.[6][55] After Moses refused to negotiate with BIE officials and treated them derisively,[56] the organization voted to approve the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, thereby preventing them from approving a New York fair for 1964.[6][55] Moses belittled the BIE as a "bunch of clowns in Paris",[6][52] but without formal recognition, the fair could not host official exhibits from BIE member states.[52][57]