Global Expos
The first official ‘World’s Fair’ took place on this day in 1867 in Paris, France. These are more commonly known as ‘Expos’ – short for ‘exposition’ – and are the third largest event in the world (terms of economic and cultural impact) after the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. This year sees Zaragoza, Spain host Expo 2008 and we wait to see if they join some of our current record holders below:
Largest marquee
A marquee covering an area of 17,500m2 188,350ft2 (1.75ha 4.32acres) was erected by the firm of Deuter from Augsburg, West Germany for the 1958 Welcome Expo in Brussels, Belgium.
Largest kaleidoscope
The Nagoya City Pavilion 'Earth Tower', erected for the Aichi Expo 2005 near Nagoya, Japan, stands 47m (154 ft) tall and projects a kaleidoscopic image 40 m (131 ft) across to viewers at the base of the triangular tower.
Most valuable collection of coins
The most valuable pile of coins had a total value of 44,395,727.96 Portuguese escudos £152,217) and consisted of 666,809 Portuguese coins of various denominations. Gathered by Realizar-Eventos Especiais and counted at the Portuguese Pavilion at Expo 98, Lisbon on 30 September 1998, the amount raised was donated to UNICEF.
Longest canoeing race
The Canadian Government Centennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant and Race from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta to the Expo 67 site at Montreal, Quebec was 5,283 km (3,283 miles). Ten canoes represented Canadian provinces and territories. The winner of the race, which took from 24 May to 4 September 1967, was the Province of Manitoba canoe Radisson.
Most expensive pop memorabilia
The Beatles member John Lennon's 1965 Phantom V Rolls Royce was bought for $2,229,000 (£1,702,827) by Jim Pattison, Chairman of the Expo 86 World Fair in Vancouver, Canada, at Sotheby's New York, USA on 29 June 1985.
08 April 2008