New York World’s Fair has been held twice in New York City. The first fair opened in 1939. Its theme was “Building the World of Tomorrow,” and its symbols were the Trylon (a triangular obelisk 700 feet, or 210 meters, high) and the Perisphere (a ball-like structure 200 feet, or 61 meters, wide). The fair was held in Flushing Meadow Park in Queens. It promoted such inventions as television, nylon, and air conditioning. Scheduled to end in 1939, the fair was reopened in 1940 because of its popularity. It attracted almost 45 million people.
The second New York World’s Fair, held in 1964 and 1965, used the theme “Peace Through Understanding.” Its symbol was the Unisphere, a stainless steel globe 140 feet (43 meters) high. The second fair was held on the same site as the first fair. Inventions displayed at the second fair included color television, picture telephones, computers, and communications satellites. Such art treasures as Michelangelo’s sculpture Pieta were also displayed. The fair attracted approximately 51 million people.
