List_of_world's_fairs

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List of world's fairs

This is a list of world's fairs, a comprehensive chronological list of world's fairs (with notable permanent buildings built). For an annotated list of all world's fairs sanctioned by the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) see List of world expositions.

As an aside, The oldest North American expo calling itself a World's Fair is actually the World's Fair of Tunbridge, Vermont, which is held yearly It assumed the title of "world's fair" in 1867. However, it is not a "world's fair" in the same expansive sense as the following entries of this page.

1750s - 1790s - 1800s - 1820s - 1840s - 1850s - 1860s - 1870s - 1880s - 1890s - 1900s - 1910s - 1920s - 1930s - 1940s - 1950s - 1960s - 1970s - 1980s - 1990s - 2000s - 2010s

1750s

1756 - London, England, Great Britain - First Exhibition (1756) - sponsored by the Society of Arts

1790s

1798 - Belgin, France - First Exhibition (1798) and Second Exhibition (1798) in Europe

1800s

1802 - Paris, France - Third Exposition (1802)

1820s

1829 - New York, New York, United States - American Institute Fair (1829)

1840s

1844 - Paris, France - French Industrial Exposition of 1844
1849 - Birmingham, England, United Kingdom - Exposition of British Society (1849)
1849 - United Kingdom - First Exhibition of British Manufacturers (1849)

1850s

1851 - London, England, United Kingdom - Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations -- The Crystal Palace
1852 - Cork, Ireland, United Kingdom - Irish Industrial Exhibition (1852)
1853 - New York, New York, United States - Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations (1853)
1853 - Dublin, Ireland, United Kngdom - Great Industrial Exhibition (1853)
1854 - Munich, Bavaria - Allgemeine deutsche Industrie-Ausstellung (1854)
1854 - Melbourne, Victoria - Melbourne Exhibition (1854) (in conjunction with Exposition Universelle (1855))
1855 - Paris, France - Exposition Universelle (1855)
1855 - Dublin, Ireland, United Kingdom - Dublin International Exhibition (1855)
1857 - Manchester, England, United Kingdom - Art Treasures Exhibition (1857)

1860s

1862 - London, England, United Kingdom - 1862 International Exhibition
1867 - Paris, France

1870s

1870 - Sydney, New South Wales - Intercolonial Exhibition (1870)
1871 - Córdoba, Argentina - Exposición Nacional (1871)
1871 - London, England, United Kingdom - First Annual International Exhibition (1871)
1872 - London, England, United Kingdom - Second Annual International Exhibition (1872)
1872 - Lima, Peru - Exposicion Internacional de 1872
1872 - Lyon, France - Exposition Universelle et Internationale (1872)
1872 - Kyoto, Japan - Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures (1872)
1873 - London, England, United Kingdom - Third Annual International Exhibition (1873)
1873 - Vienna, Austria-Hungary - Weltausstellung 1873 Wien
1873 - Sydney, New South Wales - Metropolitan Intercolonial Exhibition (1873)
1874 - London, England, United Kingdom - Fourth Annual International Exhibition (1874)
1874 - Dublin, Ireland, United Kingdom - International Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures (1874)
1874 - Rome, Italy - Esposizione internazionale (1874) (never held)
1875 - Santiago, Chile - Exposicion Internacional de 1875
1875 - Melbourne, Victoria - Victorian Intercolonial Exhibition (1875)
1875 - Nizhni Novgorod, Russia - Nizhni Novgorod Fair (1875)
1875 - Sydney, New South Wales - Intercolonial Exhibition (1875)
1875 - Santiago, Chile - Exposición Internacional de Chile
1876 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States - Centennial Exposition
1876 - Brisbane, Queensland - Intercolonial Exhibition (1876)
1877 - Cape Town, Cape Colony - South African International Exhibition (1877)
1877 - Tokyo, Japan - First National Industrial Exhibition (1877) (Ueno Park)
1878 - Paris, France - Exposition Universelle (1878)
1878 - Ballarat, Victoria - Australian Juvenile Industrial Exhibition (1878)
1879 - Sydney, New South Wales - Sydney International Exhibition (1879)
1879 - Melbourne, Victoria - Intercolonial Juvenile Industrial Exhibition (1879)

1880s

1880 - Melbourne, Victoria - Melbourne International Exhibition (1880)
1881 - Atlanta, Georgia, United States - International Cotton Exposition (1881)
1881 - Budapest, Austria-Hungary - Országos Magyar Nöiparkiállitás (1881)
1882 - Bordeaux, France - Exposition internationale des vins (1882)
1882 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Exposición Continental Sud-Americana (1882)
1883 - Boston, Massachusetts, United States - The American Exhibition of the Products, Arts and Manufactures of Foreign Nations (1883)
1883 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Internationale Koloniale en Uitvoerhandel Tentoonstelling (1883) (International Colonial Exhibition)
1883 - Calcutta, India - Calcutta International Exhibition (1883)
1883 - Parramatta, New South Wales - Intercolonial Juvenile Industrial Exhibition (1883)
1883 - Louisville, Kentucky, United States - Southern Exposition
1883 - New York, New York, United States - World's Fair (1883) (never held)
1884 - New Orleans, Louisiana, United States - World Cotton Centennial (1884) (New Orleans Universal Exposition and World's Fair), (World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exhibition), (New Orleans Centennial)
1884 - Melbourne, Victoria - Victorian International Exhibition 1884 of Wine, Fruit, Grain & other products of the soil of Australasia with machinery, plant and tools employed
1884 - Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom - International Forestry Exhibition (1884)
1884 - St. Louis, Missouri, United States - Saint Louis Exposition (1884)
1884 - Turin, Italy - Esposizione Generale Italiana (1884)
1885 - Melbourne, Victoria - Victorians' Jubilee Exhibition (1885) (Jubilee of Victoria Exhibition)
1885 - Antwerp, Belgium - Exposition Universelle d'Anvers (1885)
1885 - Wellington, New Zealand - New Zealand Industrial Exhibition (1885)
1885 - New Orleans, Louisiana, United States - North, Central and South American Exposition (1885)
1885 - London, England, United Kingdom - International Exhibition of Inventions
1886 - London, England, United Kingdom - Colonial and Indian Exhibition (1886)
1886 - Melbourne, Victoria
1886 - Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom - International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art (1886)
1886 - Liverpool, England, United Kingdom - International Exhibition of Navigation, Commerce and Industry (1886)
1887 - Adelaide, South Australia - Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition (1887)
1887 - Geelong, Victoria - Geelong Jubilee Juvenile and Industrial Exhibition (1887)
1887 - London, England, United Kingdom - American Exhibition (1887)
1887 - Rome, Italy - Esposizione mondiale (1887)
1888 - Melbourne, Victoria - Victorian Juvenile Industrial Exhibition (1888), Centennial International Exhibition
1888 - Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom - International Exhibition (1888)
1888 - Brussels, Belgium - Grand Concours International des Sciences et de l'Industrie (1888)
1888 - Barcelona, Spain - Exposición Universal de Barcelona (1888)
1888 - Lisbon, Portugal - Exposição Industrial Portugueza (1888)
1888 - Copenhagen, Denmark - The Nordic Exhibition of 1888 (1888)
1889 - Paris, France - Exposition Universelle (1889) - Eiffel Tower
1889 - Dunedin, New Zealand - New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition (1889)
1889 - Buffalo, New York, United States - International Industrial Fair (1889)

1890s

1890 - Bremen, Germany - Nord-West-Deutsche Gewerbe und Industrie-Ausstellung (1890)
1891 - Moscow, Russia - Exposition française (1891)
1891 - Frankfurt, Germany - International Electro-Technical Exhibition - 1891
1891 - Kingston, Jamaica - International Exhibition (1891)
1891 - Launceston, Tasmania - Tasmanian International Exhibition (1891)
1891 - Prague, Austria-Hungary - General Land Centennial Exhibition (1891) at the Prague Exhibition Grounds
1892 - Genoa, Italy - Esposizione Italo-Americana (1892)
1892 - Madrid, Spain - Exposición Histórico-Americana (1892)
1892 - Washington, DC, United States - Exposition of the Three Americas (1892) (never held)
1893 - Chicago, Illinois, United States - World's Columbian Exposition
1893 - Kimberley, Cape Colony - South Africa and International Exhibition (1893)
1893 - New York, New York, United States - World's Fair Prize Winners' Exposition (1893)
1894 - San Francisco, California, United States - California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894
1894 - Antwerp, Belgium - Exposition Internationale d'Anvers (1894)
1894 - Lyon, France - Exposition internationale et coloniale (1894)
1894 - Oporto, Portugal - Exposição Insular e Colonial Portugueza (1894)
1895 - Hobart, Tasmania - Tasmanian International Exhibition (1895)
1895 - Ballarat, Victoria - Australian Industrial Exhibition (1895)
1895 - Atlanta, Georgia, United States - Cotton States and International Exposition (1895) (Atlanta Exposition)
1896 - Berlin, Germany - Gewerbe-Ausstellung (1896)
1896 - Mexico City, Mexico - International Exposition (1896) (never held)
1897 - Brussels, Belgium - Exposition Internationale de Bruxelles (1897)
1897 - Guatemala City, Guatemala - Exposición Centro-Americana (1897)
1897 - Brisbane, Queensland - Queensland International Exhibition (1897)
1897 - Chicago, Illinois, United States - Irish Fair (1897)
1897 - Nashville, Tennessee, United States - Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition
1897 - Stockholm, Sweden - Allmänna konst- och industriutställningen (1897)
1898 - Dunedin, New Zealand - Otago Jubilee Industrial Exhibition (1898)
1898 - Omaha, Nebraska, United States - Trans-Mississippi Exposition
1898 - Bergen, Norway - International Fisheries Exposition (1898)
1898 - Munich, Germany - Kraft- und Arbeitsmaschinen-Ausstellung (1898)
1898 - San Francisco, California, United States - California's Golden Jubilee (1898)
1898 - Turin, Italy - Esposizione Generale Italiana (1898)
1898 - Vienna, Austria-Hungary - Jubiläums-Ausstellung (1898)
1899 - Coolgardie, Western Australia - Western Australian International Mining and Industrial Exhibition (1899)
1899 - Omaha, Nebraska, United States - Greater America Exposition (1899)
1899 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States - National Export Exposition (1899)
1899 - London, England, United Kingdom - Greater Britain Exhibition (1899)

1900s

1900 - Paris, France - Exposition Universelle (1900) - Le Grand Palais
1900 - Adelaide, South Australia - Century Exhibition of Arts and Industries (1900)
1901 - Buffalo, New York, United States - Pan-American Exposition
1901 - Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom - Glasgow International Exhibition (1901)
1901 - Vienna, Austria-Hungary - Bosnische Weihnachts-Ausstellung (1901)
1901 - Charleston, South Carolina, United States - South Carolina and Interstate and West Indian Exposition (1901)
1902 - Turin, Italy - Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Decorativa Moderna (1902)
1902 - Hanoi, French Indochina - Indo China Exposition Française et Internationale (1902)
1902 - New York, New York, United States - United States, Colonial and International Exposition (1902) (never held)
1902 - Toledo, Ohio, United States - Ohio Centennial and Northwest Territory Exposition (1902) - (never held)
1903 - Osaka, Japan - National Industrial Exposition (1903)
1904 - St. Louis, Missouri, United States - Louisiana Purchase Exposition (also called Louisiana Purchase International Exposition and Olympic Games ): 1904 Summer Olympics
1905 - Portland, Oregon, United States - Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition (1905)
1905 - Liège, Belgium - Exposition universelle et internationale (1905)
1905 - London, England, United Kingdom - Naval, Shipping and Fisheries Exhibition (1905)
1905 - New York, New York, United States - Irish Industrial Exposition (1905)
1906 - Milan, Italy - Esposizione Internazionale del Sempione (1906)
1906 - London, England, United Kingdom - Austrian Exhibition (1906)
1906 - Marseille, France - Exposition coloniale (1906)
1906 - Christchurch, New Zealand - International Exhibition (1906)
1907 - Dublin, Ireland, United Kingdom - Irish International Exhibition (1907)
1907 - Hampton Roads, Virginia, United States -Jamestown Exposition
1907 - Chicago, Illinois, United States - World's Pure Food Exposition (1907)
1907 - Mannheim, Germany - Internationale Kunst-Ausstellung (1907)
1908 - London, England, United Kingdom - Franco-British Exhibition (1908)
1908 - New York, New York, United States - International Mining Exposition (1908)
1908 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Exposição Nacional (1908)
1909 - Seattle, Washington, United States - Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition
1909 - New York, New York, United States - Hudson-Fulton Celebration (1909)
1909 - San Francisco, California, United States - Portolá Festival (1909)
1909 - Quito, Ecuador - Exposición Nacional (1909)

1910s

1910 - Nanking, China - Nanking Exposition (1910)
1910 - Brussels, Belgium - Exposition Universelle et Industrielle des Bruxelles (1910)
1910 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Exposición Internacional del Centenario (1910)
1910 - London, England, United Kingdom - Japan-British Exhibition (1910)
1910 - San Francisco, California, United States - Admission Day Festival (1910)
1910 - Vienna, Austria-Hungary - Internationale Jagd-Ausstellung (1910)
1911 - Dresden, Germany - International Hygiene Exhibition (1911)
1911 - London, England, United Kingdom - Coronation Exhibition (1911)
1911 - London, England, United Kingdom - Festival of Empire (1911)
1911 - Rome, Italy - Esposizione internazionale d'arte (1911)
1911 - Turin, Italy - Esposizione Internazionale delle Industrie e del Lavor (1911)
1911 - Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom - Scottish Exhibition, Art and Industry
1911 - New York, New York, United States - International Mercantile Exposition (1911)
1912 - Manila, Philippines - Philippine Exposition (1912)
1912 - London, England, United Kingdom - Latin-British Exhibition (1912)
1912 - Tokyo, Japan - Grand Exposition of Japan (1912) (never held)
1913 - Ghent, Belgium - Exposition universelle et internationale (1913)
1913 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Tentoonstelling De Vrouw 1813-1913
1913 - Knoxville, Tennessee, United States - National Conservation Exposition (1913)
1914 - Boulogne-sur-Mer, France - International Exposition of Sea Fishery Industries (1914)
1914 - Cologne, Germany - Werkbund Exposition (1914)
1914 - Nottingham, England, United Kingdom - Universal Exhibition (1914)
1914 - Semarang, Dutch East Indies - Koloniale Tentoonstelling (1914)
1914 - Kristiania, Norway - Norges Jubilæumsutstilling (1914)
1915 - San Francisco, California, United States - Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915) Palace of Fine Arts
1915 - San Diego, California, United States - Panama-California Exposition (1915)
1915 - Panama City, Panama - Exposición Nacional de Panama (1915)
1915 - Richmond, Virginia, United States - Negro Historical and Industrial Exposition (1915)
1915 - Chicago, Illinois, United States - Lincoln Jubilee and Exposition (1915)
1915 - Washington, DC, United States - National Star-Spangled Banner Centennial Celebration (never held)
1917 - San Francisco, California, United States - Allied War Exposition (1917)
1918 - New York, New York, United States - Bronx International Exposition of Science, Arts and Industries (1918)
1918 - Chicago, Illinois, United States - Allied War Exposition (1918)
1918 - Los Angeles, California, United States - California Liberty Fair (1918)

1920s

1920 - Shanghai, China - American-Chinese Exposition (1920) (?)
1921 - London, England, United Kingdom - International Exhibition of Rubber and Other Tropical Products (1921)
1922 - Marseille, France - Exposition nationale coloniale (1922)
1922 - Tokyo, Japan - Peace Exhibition (1922)
1922 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Exposição do Centenario do Brasil (1922)
1923 - Los Angeles, California, United States - American Historical Review and Motion Picture Exposition (1923)
1923 - Calcutta, India - Calcutta Exhibition (1923) preparatory to British Empire Exhibition
1923 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Gothenburg Exhibition (1923) - Industrial Exhibition
1924 - Wembley, England, United Kingdom - British Empire Exhibition
1924 - New York, New York, United States - French Exposition (1924)
1925 - Lyon, France - Foire (1925)
1925 - San Francisco, California, United States - California's Diamond Jubilee (1925)
1925 - Dunedin, New Zealand - New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition (1925)
1925 - Paris, France - Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes
1926 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States - Sesquicentennial Exposition
1926 - Berlin, Germany - Internationale Polizeiausstellung (1926)
1927 - Lyon, France - Foire internationale (1925)
1928 - Cologne, Germany - Internationale Presse-Ausstellung (1928)
1928 - Long Beach, California, United States - Pacific Southwest Exposition (1928)
1929 - Barcelona, Spain, and Seville, Spain - Expo '29 (Exposición Ibero-Americana) or (Spain International Exposition)
1929 - Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom - North East Coast Exhibition

1930s

1930 - Antwerp, Belgium - Exposition internationale coloniale, maritime et d'art flamand (1930)
1930 - Liège, Belgium - Exposition internationale de la grande industrie, sciences et applications, art wallon ancien (1930)
1930 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stockholm International Exhibition (1930) (Utställningen av konstindustri, konsthandverk och hemslöjd)
1930 - Trondheim, Norway - Tröndelag Exhibition (1930)
1931 - Milan, Italy - International Foundry Exhibition and Congress (1931)
1931 - Paris, France - Exposition coloniale internationale (1931)
1931 - Yorktown, Virginia, United States - Yorktown Sesquicentennial (1931)
1933 - Chicago, Illinois, United States - Century of Progress International Exposition
1934 - Oporto, Portugal - Exposição Colonial Portuguesa (1934)
1934 - Tel Aviv, Palestine - Levant Fair (1934)
1935 - Brussels, Belgium - Exposition universelle et internationale (1935)
1935 - San Diego, California, United States - California Pacific International Exposition (1935)
1935 - Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil -Exposição do Centenario Farroupilha (1935)
1936 - Johannesburg, South Africa - Empire Exhibition (1936)
1936 - Cleveland, Ohio, United States - Great Lakes Exposition
1936 - Dallas, Texas, United States - Texas Centennial Central Exposition (1936)
1937 - Berlin, Germany - Ausstellung (1937)
1937 - Cleveland, Ohio, United States - Great Lakes Exposition
1937 - Dallas, Texas, United States - Greater Texas and Pan American Exposition (1937)
1937 - Düsseldorf, Germany - Reichsausstellung Schaffendes Volk (1937)
1937 - Miami, Florida, United States - Pan American Fair (1937)
1937 - Paris, France - Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (1937)
1937 - Nagoya, Japan - Nagoya Pan-Pacific Peace Exposition (1937)
1938 - Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom - Empire Exhibition, Scotland 1938
1939 - New York, New York, United States - 1939 New York World's Fair (exhibits included The World of Tomorrow Futurama Trylon Perisphere)
1939 - San Francisco, California, United States - Golden Gate International Exposition
1939 - Wellington, New Zealand - New Zealand Centennial Exhibition
1939 - Dresden, Germany - Deutsche Kolonial Ausstellung (1939)
1939 - Liège, Belgium - Exposition internationale de l'eau (1939)
1939 - Zürich, Switzerland - Schweizerische Landesausstellung (1939)

1940s

1940 - Lisbon, Portugal - Exposição do Mundo Português (1940)
1940 - Los Angeles, California, United States - Pacific Mercado (1940) (never held)
1940 - Naples, Italy - Mostra Triennale delle Terre Italiane d’Oltremare (Triennial Exhibition of Overseas Italian Territories)
1940 - Tokyo, Japan - Grand International Exposition of Japan (1940) (never held)
1942 - Los Angeles, California, United States - Cabrillo Fair (1942) (never held)
1942 - Rome, Italy - Esposizione universale (1942) (E42) (never held)
1948 - Brussels, Belgium - Foire coloniale (1948)
1949 - Port-au-Prince, Haiti - Exposition internationale du bicentenaire de Port-au-Prince (1949)

1950s

1951 - London, England, United Kingdom - Festival of Britain
1957 - Guangzhou, China - Chinese Export Commodities Fair
1959 - Brussels, Belgium - Expo '58 (Exposition Universelle et venti Internationale de Bruxelles) - Atomium

1960s

1962 - Seattle, Washington, United States - Century 21 Exposition Space Needle
1964 - New York, New York, United States - 1964/1965 New York World's Fair (note- not sanctioned by the Bureau International des Expositions)
1967 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada - Expo 67, (Universal and International Exhibition of 1967) the most successful Fair ever, drawing more than 50 million visitors.
1968 - San Antonio, Texas, United States - HemisFair '68

1970s

1970 - Osaka, Japan - Expo '70 (Japan World Exposition)
1974 - Spokane, Washington, United States - Expo '74 (International Exposition on the Environment)
1975 - Okinawa, Japan - Expo '75 (International Ocean Exposition)