East Bronx and Queens Congressman Joe Crowley announced the introduction of H. Res. 552 yesterday, a resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1964 New York World’s Fair and recognizing its lasting legacy in technology, industry and entertainment, as well as the hearts and minds of Americans.
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“The 1964 World’s Fair is a source of pride for the people of Queens and throughout the City of New York,” said Rep. Crowley. “That’s why I am introducing a resolution that honors the legacy of a key moment in our country’s history. With its themes of peace and progress, the fair reflected our nation’s diversity, showcased the very best in American ingenuity and lifted up our country during a tumultuous time.”
The fair opened on April 22, 1964 in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens and was attended by more than 51 million people. Leaving behind key landmarks such as the Unisphere and New York State Pavilion, the fair’s presence has remained strong in the borough. Many of its structures are still used today : the New York Hall of Science, Queens Zoo, Queens Theater and Queens Museum.
The investments made in Flushing Meadows Corona Park created an enduring urban green space that has since been enjoyed by generations of New Yorkers ever since the fair.
New York congressional delegation members joining Crowley in introducing the resolution include fellow Bronx Congressional representatives Eliot Engel (NY-16) and José E. Serrano (NY-15), among others.
The full text of the resolution is below:
RESOLUTION
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens, New York.
Whereas the 1964 New York World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York opened April 22, 1964;
Whereas Queens had previously hosted the World’s Fair in 1939, which inspired the fair 25 years later;
Whereas over 51 million people attended the 1964 World’s Fair over its two seasons, setting a new record for international expositions;
Whereas the theme for the 1964 World’s Fair was “Peace Through Understanding”;
Whereas the enduring symbol of the fair was the Unisphere, a 12-story high steel sphere representing the earth, which was dedicated to “Man’s Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe”;
Whereas the fair was attended by luminaries such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his family, and included tributes to President John F. Kennedy, who had broken ground for the World’s Fair pavilion in December 1962, but had been assassinated in November 1963 before the fair opened;
Whereas the fair showcased American industry and technology, highlighting innovations of the future and giving many attendees their first opportunity to interact with computers, color televisions, and other then-modern marvels;
Whereas the fair hosted a wide variety of countries and demonstrated a major commitment to international culture, for which Queens has become famous;
Whereas the fair featured well-known displays from around the world, including the Dead Sea Scrolls and Michelangelo’s Pieta, displayed internationally for the first time;
Whereas the fair recognized America’s space program by displaying the Aurora 7 spacecraft piloted around the earth by Scott Carpenter, as well as models of Gemini and Apollo rockets and spacecraft;
Whereas the fair demonstrated an architectural style and exhibits that would go on to become icons of American culture, including the first Ford Mustang and Disney’s “It’s A Small World” exhibit;
Whereas numerous states hosted pavilions exhibiting local industries and cuisine, reflecting the diversity of our nation;
Whereas New York City exhibited the “Panorama of the City of New York” that today is on permanent exhibit at the Queens Museum and continues to be updated to reflect the ever-changing cityscape of New York City;
Whereas New York State hosted the event from its “Tent of Tomorrow” pavilion, featuring the largest cable suspension roof in the world and a terrazzo floor with a large scale replica of a New York State highway map;
Whereas the New York State Pavilion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009;
Whereas the legacy of the World’s Fair remains strong in Queens, as the investments in Flushing Meadows Corona Park made for the fair created an enduring urban green space that has been used by generations of New Yorkers;
Whereas many of the World’s Fair structures are still used today by Queens institutions like the New York Hall of Science, Queens Zoo, Queens Theater and Queens Museum, which also incorporates structures from the 1939 World’s Fair and was a temporary home for the United Nations General Assembly;
Whereas the Unisphere, New York State Pavilion and the flying-saucer-shaped observation towers have become recognized symbols of the World’s Fair and key landmarks of Flushing Meadows Corona Park;
Whereas the 1964 World’s Fair and its legacy are a point of pride for the borough of Queens and its residents;
Whereas in the fifty years since the last World’s Fair, New York City has continued to enhance its reputation as a center of commerce, innovation, technology, and international culture;
Resolved, That the House of Representatives–
(1) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1964 New York World’s Fair;
(2) recognizes the achievements of the 1964 World’s Fair and its lasting legacy in not only technology, industry and entertainment, but in the hearts and minds of America; and
(3) commends the City of New York and the borough of Queens for their furthering of the ideals and themes of the 1964 World’s Fair over the past fifty years.
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