1964 World’s Fair: 'Peace Through Understanding'
60 years ago on April 22, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson opened the New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the borough of Queens.
The theme for the event that ran through October 22, 1965 was “Peace Through Understanding.”
We looked through the AP archives for photographs of the attractions that brought 51 million visitors to Queens. Several landmarks are still standing and are now iconic symbols of the borough.
This photo shows the 1964 World's Fair site in Flushing, Queens in New York on April 19, 1964. The unisphere in the center of the water fountain is the symbol of the fair. In the background is the Manhattan skyline. (AP Photo)
Workmen build conical shapes representing the surface of the moon for the Kodak exhibit, in preparation for the World's Fair, in Queens, New York, Oct. 23, 1963. The fair will open in April 1964. The Unisphere is visible in the background. (AP Photo)
Workers build up the sides of the crate that contains Michelangelo’s Pieta’ on its transatlantic voyage to the New York World’s Fair on April 2, 1964. The statue stands on cotton padding between its base and the bottom of the crate, on a sandwich of two four-inch planks with a rubber layer in between. A special truck will haul the crated statue to Naples on April 4, to be loaded aboard the liner Cristoforo Colombo, for its trip to the Vatican pavilion of the New York’s World’s Fair. (AP Photo/JP)
A pre-historic monster stands within sight of a 20th century rocket on April 9, 1964, symbolic of the pageant of world history presented by various exhibits at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair. Some exhibits will carry the visitor back through millions of years of the earth's history; others will take them far into the future. (AP Photo)
OPENING DAY
The Associated Press article, "LBJ Offers Peace Theme”, printed in The Wellesville Daily Reporter, Wednesday, April 22, 1964.
U.S. President Lyndon Johnson cuts a ribbon dedicating the Federal pavilion at the New York's World's Fair, April 22, 1964. U.S. Commissioner to the fair, Norman K. Winston is at right of Johnson. Witnessing the ceremony second from left is New York Mayor Robert Wagner, Commerce Secretary Luther Hodges and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr. In rear, third from left is New York Sen. Jacob Javits, Sen Kenneth Keating of New York. (AP Photo)
Text from Associated Press article, published in The Wellesville Daily Reporter, Wednesday, April 22, 1964.
LBJ Offers Peace Theme
NEW YORK (AP) — President Johnson turned prophet today at the opening of the New York World's Fair and said that peace not only is possible but coming nearer, with all this means for the dreams and hopes of mankind.
The President said that the final direction of the nation's progress can be toward "abundance or annihilation — development or desolation" — and this is in the hands of the people of the world.
In an address prepared for delivery in Singer Bowl at the fair, Johnson said this vast festival represents the most promising of our hopes.
“It gathers together, from 80 countries, the achievements of industry, the wealth of nations, the creations of man. This fair shows us what man — at his most creative and constructive — is capable of,” Johnson said.
“But unless we can achieve the theme of this fair — ‘Peace Through Understanding' — unless we can use our skill and wisdom to conquer conflict as we have conquered science — then our hopes of today —those proud achievements — will go under the devastation of tomorrow.”
“I prophesy peace is not only possible. l predict it is coming nearer.”
Bill Turchyn, first visitor to the New York World's Fair, is greeted at the main gate, by Fair chairman Thomas J. Deegan, left, and ticket taker Thomas Brosnan, April 22, 1964. The 18-year-old St. Peters College student had been in line 41 hours waiting for the gates to open at 9 a.m. (AP Photo/William A. Smith)
Robert Moses, the man behind the New York World's Fair, poses next to a block map of the fair's layout on April 22, 1964 in New York. (AP Photo)
New York City policemen tangle with demonstrators at a subway station on the opening day of the New York World's Fair, April 22, 1964. Youths attempted to stall the train, which was headed from the city to the fairgrounds, as a form of protest for civil rights. (AP Photo/Charles Gorry)
Congress of Racial Equality director James Farmer, center, stands in a crowd at the Long Island Railroad's World's Fair station in New York, April 22, 1964, as he and civil rights organizer Bayard Rustin, left, arrive at the fair site. Members of the Brooklyn chapter of CORE, without approval of the national organization, threatened to disrupt opening ceremonies by blocking highways and obstructing subway trains bound for the fairgrounds. (AP Photo)
Civil rights pickets, one bearing a sign of the Boston chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), parade in front of the giant Unisphere in the heart of the New York World's Fair in Queens, on opening day, April 22, 1964. Fair officials said that by mid-afternoon nearly 100 demonstrators had been arrested on the grounds. (AP Photo/Anthony Camerano)
New York police carry James Farmer, national director for the Congress of Racial Equality, from in front of the New York City pavilion at the New York World's Fair, April 22, 1964. Farmer was among demonstrators sitting down in the entrance of the building protesting alleged civil rights abuses in the city. (AP Photo/Anthony Camerano)
Visitors to the second day of the New York World's Fair fill the roadway under a cloudless sky in the Queens borough of New York on Thursday, April 23, 1964. By mid-afternoon more than 100,000 people were on the fairgrounds enjoying the attractions which included a view from the towers of the New York State pavilion, left background, a ride on the Swiss Skyride cable cars and a look at the giant Unisphere, the dominate structure of the fair. (AP Photo)
Norwegian guides at the Norway display of the New York World’s Fair do some sightseeing near their exhibit on Thursday, April 24, 1964. Above Jorunn Bakker, left, and Else Stordalen are the cars of the Swiss Sky Ride. At right is the Sudan pavilion. (AP Photo)
New York’s World’s Fair attracted a heavy influx of visitors in New York on April 23, 1964 following rainy day opening. The scene at the IRT elevated line station as visitors headed for the fairgrounds. In the background is Shea Stadium, home of baseball's New York Mets. (AP Photo)
These unusual landmarks are among a number of attractions still standing from the 1964 World’s Fair.
THE UNISPHERE
The fair’s best-known symbol that still attracts visitors to the park, is a 12-story steel globe, that has appeared in movies like “Men in Black” and “Iron Man 2.”
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor have a tour of the World's Fair with the chairman of the executive committee of the fair, Thomas Deegan, center, in the Queens borough of New York, May 6, 1964. (AP Photo/Eddie Adams)
Youngsters trail Buddy Edelen of Sioux Falls, S.D., as he carries a torch like an Olympic marathon runner near Unisphere at the New York World’s Fair on May 22, 1964. (AP Photo)
A night view of the Unisphere, the symbol of the New York World's Fair, April 27, 1964. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler)
NEW YORK STATE PAVILION
The 100-foot-high (30-meter-high) concrete pillars support structures that look like flying saucers. This was the New York State Pavilion, where visitors rode elevators to an observation deck above an enormous suspended roof of translucent colored tiles.
The New York State Pavilion is shown during the New York World's Fair, 1964. (AP Photo)
The New York State Pavilion is shown at the New York World's Fair in New York, 1965. It was designed as sleek, space-age vision of the future: a pavilion of pillars with a suspended, shimmering roof that the 1964 World’s Fair billed as the “Tent of Tomorrow.”
This 1965 photo shows the New York State Pavilion at the New York World's Fair in New York. They were designed as sleek, space-age visions of the future: three towers topped by flying-saucer-like platforms, and a pavilion of pillars with a suspended, shimmering roof that the 1964 World’s Fair billed as the “Tent of Tomorrow.” (AP Photo)
A huge prehistoric monster doesn't faze 6-year-old John Osborne a bit as he tickles the giant with a feather. John and his family encountered the beast during a visit to the New York World's Fair on May 8, 1964. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Bob Osborne, of Summit, N.J. (AP Photo)
Riders on a moving walkway are reflected in the ceiling at the GE exhibit at the New York World's Fair, May 21, 1964. (AP Photo/Bob Goldberg)
Gordon Yeager floats above the crowd at the World's Fair in Flushing, Queens, May 31, 1964, during a demonstration of the maneuverability of the jet-propelled rocket belt. (AP Photo/Eddie Adams)
A futuristic control panel with views of the Earth is pictured in the General Motors Pavilion at the New York World's Fair, 1964. (AP Photo)
Interior of the Illinois Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair, May 15, 1964. The 6-foot 4-inch figure of the famed son of Illinois was created by Walt Disney in a process known as audio-animatronics. Lincoln, or his figure, is shown in his familiar dark suit, and watch chain, with facial features based on an actual mask of the martyred president. (AP Photo/Bob Goldberg)
Upon arrival at the fair, most visitors look for the highest vantage point to take in the vast panorama of the grounds in New York, May 12, 1964. While not the highest point, the roof of the Eastern Kodak Pavilion offers views in all directions and is one of the popular stops on the sightseeing tour. (AP Photo/John Lindsay)
Actress Shirley MacLaine rides the New York subway on the way to the World's Fair for the premiere of her movie, "What A Way To Go", May 13, 1964. (AP Photo/Marty Zimmerman)
One of the Brass Rail lunch bars at the World’s Fair gives the appearance of a mass of balloons tied together on Aug.11, 1964. The towers at right are observation platforms, part of the New York State pavilion. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler)
This display in the Atomic Energy Commission’s Atomsville, U.S.A., exhibit is used to illustrate the power of electricity. A sign points out that it would take them 30 years of non-stop pumping to equal the electrical energy in one pound of uranium fuel. As the children pedal the bicycles, lights on the panel in front of them are activated by a generator attached to the wheels. Visitors at the Atomsville display have worn out a pair of bike pedals a week. The display is in the Hall of Science at the World’s Fair in New York on Sept. 22, 1964. (AP Photo/DP)
A view of the observation tower of the New York Pavilion during the New York World's Fair, 1965. (AP Photo)
This outline of black and white gives strollers at the New York World's Fair a peaceful feeling as they pass the water fountains and soft lights playing at the base of the Unisphere Fountain of Continents, June 1, 1965. The coast of Africa and island of Madagascar are outlined on the globe. (AP Photo/Jack Kanthal)
The area around the Paris Pavilion at the World's Fair hardly resembles a French tourist spot as work continues, cleaning up after the fair’s closing, Oct. 22, 1965. Tables and chairs are put on the roofs of the buildings as workmen remove exhibits and equipment October 22. (AP Photo/John Lindsay)
Text Excerpts
The Associated Press article, "LBJ Offers Peace Theme”, printed in The Wellesville Daily Reporter, Wednesday, April 22, 1964.
Text and photo curation by Kathleen Elliott
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