It is hard for people in Seattle to remember the city before the Space Needle The landmark is recognized around the world But it had a humble beginning It was inspired by a fair a satellite and a television tower A WORLD’S FAIR In 1955 Washington State lawmakers set up a special committee Its task was to explore the idea of hosting a World’s Fair These fairs are gatherings for people across the globe They showcase new inventions and different cultures Such fairs usually last several months Hosting one is a great honor Edward E Carlson led the committee He knew it was a large project The fair would bring millions of visitors to the state Many would be coming from other countries The fair would have to provide gardens entertainment museums and exhibit halls The committee had to think about many elements It had to pick a host city It also had to pick a theme that would interest people The committee had to find a site 6
The World’s Fair held in New York City in 1939 featured its own striking architecture to build the fairgrounds It had to figure out how to pay for all this too Critics slowed the process They worried about crowds And no one had come up with an inspiring theme The committee seemed stuck It lacked a clear direction And it had trouble finding money and property 7
FAMOUS FAIR STRUCTURES Host cities for World’s Fairs often created structures that amazed visitors In London England the Crystal Palace awed visitors at the 1851 fair It was an exhibit hall made entirely of glass and iron In Paris France Gustave Eiffel built an elegant iron tower as the entrance to the 1889 fair The Eiffel Tower soon became a symbol of Paris Visitors to the 1893 World’s Fair lined up to ride the world’s first Ferris wheel in Chicago Illinois Today Ferris wheels can be found at carnivals and amusement parks across the world INSPIRED BY SPUTNIK Then in 1957 everything changed On October 4 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik It was the world’s first satellite Its launch marked the beginning of space exploration The future of space travel and science interested people across the world The committee realized this would be a popular theme The committee moved forward with this idea The fair became known as the Century 21 Exposition Its theme was Man in the Space Age Exhibits would 8
The launch of Sputnik kicked off the space age and gave the fair planners their theme feature life in the twenty-first century Future homes fashions and offices would be on display Other exhibits would highlight advances in space and science THE STUTTGART TOWER The only thing missing for the fair was an impressive structure to be its symbol But Carlson had an idea 9
