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On this day, April 30, 1939, the New York World's Fair opened.
Sat Apr 30, 2022: On this day, April 30, 1939, the New York World's Fair opened.
Fri Apr 30, 2021: On this day, April 30, 1939, the New York World's Fair opened.
Tue Apr 30, 2019: 80 Years Ago Today; The 1939 Worlds Fair Opens - NBC begins scheduled TV broadcasting
Mon Apr 30, 2018: On this day in 1939, the New York World's Fair opened
1939 New York World's Fair
{snip}
Grand opening
On April 30, 1939, a very hot Sunday, the fair had its grand opening, with 206,000 people in attendance. The April 30 date coincided with the 150th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration, in Lower Manhattan, as the first President of the United States. Although many of the pavilions and other facilities were not quite ready for this opening, it was put on with pomp and great celebration.
David Sarnoff, then president of RCA and a strong advocate of television, chose to introduce television to the mass public at the RCA pavilion. As a reflection of the wide range of technological innovation on parade at the fair, Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech was not only broadcast over the various radio networks but also was televised along with other parts of the opening ceremony and other events at the fair. On April 30, 1939, the opening ceremony and President Roosevelt's speech were seen on black and white television sets with 5 to 12-inch tubes. NBC used the event to inaugurate regularly scheduled television broadcasts in New York City over their station W2XBS (now WNBC). An estimated 1,000 people viewed the Roosevelt telecast on about 200 television sets scattered throughout the New York metropolitan area.
In order to convince skeptical visitors that the television sets were not a trick, one set was made with a transparent case so that the internal components could be seen. As part of the exhibit at the RCA pavilion, visitors could see themselves on television. There were also television demonstrations at the General Electric and Westinghouse pavilions. During this formal introduction at the fair, television sets became available for public purchase at various stores in the New York City area.
After Albert Einstein gave a speech that discussed cosmic rays, the fair's lights were ceremonially lit. Dignitaries received a special Opening Day Program which contained their names written in Braille.
{snip}
{snip}
Grand opening
On April 30, 1939, a very hot Sunday, the fair had its grand opening, with 206,000 people in attendance. The April 30 date coincided with the 150th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration, in Lower Manhattan, as the first President of the United States. Although many of the pavilions and other facilities were not quite ready for this opening, it was put on with pomp and great celebration.
David Sarnoff, then president of RCA and a strong advocate of television, chose to introduce television to the mass public at the RCA pavilion. As a reflection of the wide range of technological innovation on parade at the fair, Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech was not only broadcast over the various radio networks but also was televised along with other parts of the opening ceremony and other events at the fair. On April 30, 1939, the opening ceremony and President Roosevelt's speech were seen on black and white television sets with 5 to 12-inch tubes. NBC used the event to inaugurate regularly scheduled television broadcasts in New York City over their station W2XBS (now WNBC). An estimated 1,000 people viewed the Roosevelt telecast on about 200 television sets scattered throughout the New York metropolitan area.
In order to convince skeptical visitors that the television sets were not a trick, one set was made with a transparent case so that the internal components could be seen. As part of the exhibit at the RCA pavilion, visitors could see themselves on television. There were also television demonstrations at the General Electric and Westinghouse pavilions. During this formal introduction at the fair, television sets became available for public purchase at various stores in the New York City area.
After Albert Einstein gave a speech that discussed cosmic rays, the fair's lights were ceremonially lit. Dignitaries received a special Opening Day Program which contained their names written in Braille.
{snip}
New York World's Fair Opened (1939)
6,764 views Apr 13, 2014
British Pathé
2.71M subscribers
Full titles read: "NEW YORK'S WORLD'S FAIR OPENED"
Aerial shot for the World's Fair complex. L/S's of the President of the United States of America Franklin Delano Roosevelt arriving in an open topped car. M/S of Roosevelt giving a speech to declare the Fair open. Several shots of the fantastic sights a the fair including a large statue of George Washington and many spectacular fountain. Good aerial shots of the building illuminated in the night sky.
FILM ID:1011.01
A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT'S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES. http://www.britishpathe.tv/
FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT http://www.britishpathe.com/
{snip}
6,764 views Apr 13, 2014
British Pathé
2.71M subscribers
Full titles read: "NEW YORK'S WORLD'S FAIR OPENED"
Aerial shot for the World's Fair complex. L/S's of the President of the United States of America Franklin Delano Roosevelt arriving in an open topped car. M/S of Roosevelt giving a speech to declare the Fair open. Several shots of the fantastic sights a the fair including a large statue of George Washington and many spectacular fountain. Good aerial shots of the building illuminated in the night sky.
FILM ID:1011.01
A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT'S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES. http://www.britishpathe.tv/
FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT http://www.britishpathe.com/
{snip}
1939 NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR NEWSREEL "WORLD OF TOMORROW" 72342
78,229 views May 12, 2015
PeriscopeFilm
447K subscribers
Support Our Channel : https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm
This newsreel of the 1939 New York's World's Fair shows some of the highlights of the fair, including the pavilions of various states and nations, the General Electric Pavilion, the Amusement Area (the Life Saver Parachute Jump later relocated to Coney Island, is at the 5:15 mark), the Savoy stage show, and the automotive pavilions including those of Ford and General Motors -- known as the Futurama. There are also displays of modern and historic railroad locomotives as part of the "Railroads on Parade" stage show.
{snip}
78,229 views May 12, 2015
PeriscopeFilm
447K subscribers
Support Our Channel : https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm
This newsreel of the 1939 New York's World's Fair shows some of the highlights of the fair, including the pavilions of various states and nations, the General Electric Pavilion, the Amusement Area (the Life Saver Parachute Jump later relocated to Coney Island, is at the 5:15 mark), the Savoy stage show, and the automotive pavilions including those of Ford and General Motors -- known as the Futurama. There are also displays of modern and historic railroad locomotives as part of the "Railroads on Parade" stage show.
{snip}
Color!
1939 NY World's Fair - People
58,587 views Aug 24, 2007
JDProductions2
1.36K subscribers
Amateur color footage of people at the World's Fair.
{snip}
Music: "All The Things You Are" by Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
{snip}
58,587 views Aug 24, 2007
JDProductions2
1.36K subscribers
Amateur color footage of people at the World's Fair.
{snip}
Music: "All The Things You Are" by Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
{snip}
Twilight Zone Part 3
158,144 views Jun 10, 2008
Raptoreagletube
317 subscribers
Original Serie's
Show
Twilight Zone : The Odyssey of Flight 33
158,144 views Jun 10, 2008
Raptoreagletube
317 subscribers
Original Serie's
Show
Twilight Zone : The Odyssey of Flight 33
The Odyssey of Flight 33
John Anderson (actor)
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
That was one of my favorite episodes! 
I'm writing a novel where the 1933 Chicago World's Fair is part of the story. That fair was called The Century of Progress & I wondered, what happened to the World's Fairs?
How the 'World of Tomorrow' Became a Thing of the Past
BY HARRY SWARTOUT APRIL 29, 2014 7:00 AM EDT
https://time.com/79600/the-fall-of-the-fair/
snip...
What happened to the World’s Fair? On April 30th, which marks the 75th anniversary of the 1939 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, the question becomes especially poignant. How did the global cultural events that inaugurated broadcast television (New York 1939), built the Eiffel Tower (Paris 1889), and introduced the world to the Ferris Wheel (Chicago 1893) disappear?
Actually, they haven’t: World’s Fairs haven’t gone anywhere, it’s just America that has moved on.
The next World’s Fair is scheduled for Spring 2015 in Milan Italy, but expo-goers who are looking to catch the latest glimpse at the “world of tomorrow,” will be disappointed. “A lot of Americans imagine World’s Fairs as they were in the 1930s and the 1960s, but the medium has changed,” says World’s Fair consultant Urso Chappell. “Whereas the focus was on progress or the space age and things like that at one time, the themes tend to be more environmental now,” he adds.
With smaller scope and a concentration on solving problems rather than trumpeting triumphs, World’s Fairs just don’t capture the imagination like they used to. Milan’s theme — Feeding the planet, energy for life — focuses on ending hunger and developing food sustainability. By contrast, the 1939 World’s Fair’s Dawn of a New Day slogan exuded aspirational wonder and 1964’s (which had its 50th anniversary last week), centered on Peace Through Understanding.
Building rocket ships is more exciting than feeding people.