1982 World's Fair
| EXPO Knoxville 1982 | |
|---|---|
The 1982 World's Fair logo
|
|
| Overview | |
| BIE-class | Specialized exposition |
| Category | International specialized exposition |
| Name | Knoxville International Energy Exposition |
| Motto | Energy turns the world |
| Building | Sunsphere |
| Area | 28 hectares (69 acres) |
| Visitors | 11,127,786 |
| Participant(s) | |
| Countries | 16 |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| City | Knoxville |
| Venue | World's Fair Park |
| Coordinates | 35°57′43″N 83°55′28″W / 35.962064°N 83.924389°W |
| Timeline | |
| Opening | May 1, 1982 |
| Closure | October 31, 1982 |
| Specialized expositions | |
| Previous | Expo 81 in Plovdiv |
| Next | 1984 Louisiana World Exposition in New Orleans |
| Universal expositions | |
| Previous | Expo '70 in Osaka |
| Next | Seville Expo '92 in Seville |
| Horticultural expositions | |
| Previous | Floralies Internationales de Montréal in Montreal |
| Next | Internationale Gartenbauaustellung 83 in Munich |
| Simultaneous | |
| Horticultural (AIPH) | Florida 1982 |
The 1982 World's Fair, formally known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition, was held in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. The theme of the exposition was "Energy Turns the World."
It opened on May 1, 1982, and closed on October 31, 1982, after receiving over 11 million visitors. Participating nations included Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Germany.
The fair was constructed on a 70-acre (280,000 m2) site between downtown Knoxville and the University of Tennessee. The core of the site primarily consisted of a deteriorating Louisville and Nashville Railroad yard and depot. The railroad yard was demolished, with the exception of a single rail line, and the depot was renovated into a restaurant. The Sunsphere, a 266-foot (81 m) steel tower topped with a five-story gold globe, was built for the 1982 World's Fair. It still stands and remains a symbol for the city of Knoxville.
In 2007, the East Tennessee Historical Society opened an exhibit commemorating the 25th anniversary of the World's Fair.
The idea for a World's Fair in Knoxville came from the example of Spokane, Washington, which hosted a World's Fair in 1974. W. Stewart Evans, president of the Downtown Knoxville Association, came up with the idea of hosting a fair in Knoxville and presented it to the city government.
Knoxville Mayor Kyle Testerman appointed banker Jake Butcher to lead an exploratory committee on the fair, and Butcher served as the driving force behind the fair. Within the city, many people referred to the event as "Jake's Fair". The organizing body was the Knoxville Foundation Inc. There was skepticism about the ability of Knoxville, described as a "scruffy little city" by a national publication, to successfully host a World's Fair.
...
Wikipedia