Are you planning to go to the Expo this year? Have you been already? How was it? Would you recommend it to others?
For all those who are interested in the Expo here is an article looking at the historic world event.
The World’s Fair (later known as the Expo) was an event designed to showcase the industrial and technological advances of different nations around the world.
The first World’s Fairs were held in the Czech Republic in 1791, and later, in 1844 in Paris, but these fairs showcased advances by these countries only so they were not truly global.
The first official global Expo that showcased technologies from around the world was held in London in 1851 and was call the Great Exhibition. It was housed in a huge glass and steel building called the Crystal Palace.
Later Expos were held in Europe and the US. Many huge, incredibly beautiful buildings were made just for these Expos and later sadly destroyed.
However, sometimes, these buildings survived, as in the case of the 1899 Expo which was held in Paris. The Eiffel Tower, which was built especially for the expo, still exists to this day!
From 1851 to 1938 the Expos focused on advances in technology and inventions from around the world. The earliest telephones and high-speed trains were showcased at Expos. Other inventions highlighted at World Expos include the world’s first car radio, electric cars, escalators, talking films, electric trams, and airships.
From 1939 the World Expos focused less on technology and more on world culture and world progress. The 1939 New York World’s Fair showcased food, art and culture from all around the world and included pavilions from different countries.
The 1964 New York World’s Fair featured performances, exhibitions and food from over 80 countries and showed products from 350 different American manufacturers.
In 1988 the expo in Brisbane, Australia, changed focus again and, as well as including international pavilions and technology, the event was used to help promote Australia itself. It used many of the things included in the modern-day Olympics, including a logo and a mascot.
The 1992 Expo was in Spain and that event, along with the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, helped Spain show its culture and progress, and the European Union, to the rest of the world.
As with the Olympics, the cost of hosting the World Expo is becoming more and more expensive. The 2000 Expo in Hanover Germany featured pavilions that cost an average of 12 million euros to build. To help reduce the costs the Bureau International Des Expositions (BIE) have decided to hold World Expos once every five years with the next one due to be held in 2030 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Despite the rising costs, Expos are incredibly popular, drawing millions of visitors from around the world and are a great way to showcase the wonders of human innovation and culture from around the world.
If you go to the Expo this year, I hope you have a great time taking part in a tradition that has lasted over 170 years and one that I hope will last another 170 years.