The World's Columbian Exposition
The first World Fair was held in Prague in 1791 and was known as the First Industrial Exhibition. Each of the fairs were set around a specific event in whichever country was hosting, the 1791 Prague fair was set around the coronation of Leopold II. There was no consistent fair schedule, and the fairs could last anywhere from three to nine months and would be held anywhere from two to ten years apart.
These fairs were a way to share the latest inventions with the world. The first exhibition that was held in America was the 'Centennial Exposition' and it was held in 1876, which was the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The 1893 Chicago Fair, also known as the 'World's Columbian Exposition' was originally set to open in 1892, the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus sailing to and arriving in the 'New World'. This fair was delayed a year and opened on May 1st of 1893 and lasted until October 30th, 1893. Once built, the buildings were all white, giving the city the nickname 'The White City'.
While this fair would debut a lot of American inventions that we still use today, it was not purely positive. With the fair came racial and ethic debates, America's first serial killer, and ended with the assassination of a popular Mayor of Chicago.
