The World’s Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago, Illinois, in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage to America. The fair’s centrepiece, held in Jackson Park, was a large water pool representing Columbus’ voyage to the New World. Chicago won the bid over several other cities, including New York City, Washington, D.C., and St. Louis.
The exposition as a social and cultural event profoundly affected Chicago’s self-image and American industrial optimism. The exposition covered 690 acres (2.8 km2) boasted nearly 200 new (but intentionally temporary) buildings of predominantly neoclassical architecture, canals and lagoons, as well as cultures and people from 46 nations. Daniel Burnham selected the Beaux-Arts architectural style for the fair’s main buildings. The style is characterized by classical details such as columns, pediments, symmetrical surfaces, statues, and the use of stone. For several decades, Burnham’s choice of style influenced American architecture. City halls, libraries, and courthouses in turn-of-the-century towns resemble the buildings at the World’s Fair. During the exposition’s six-month run, more than 27 million people attended. As part of the emerging American Exceptionalism, the fair’s massive scale, grandeur, and attention to detail far surpassed those of other world’s fairs, much like the Great Exhibition embodied the Victorian era in the United Kingdom.
Several foods and drinks provided at the exposition are still popular today. Many snack foods trace their origins to the fair, including gum, crackers, and brownies. The beef sausage that would become the basis of the Chicago-style hot dog was also available at the White City. Pabst beer has also claimed its roots come from the exposition, where the company won its namesake blue ribbon.
Chicago’s fair not only marked the 400th anniversary of European discovery of the New World, but also demonstrated that the city had recovered from the Great Chicago Fire, which had destroyed much of the city in 1871. While the fairgrounds were officially opened to the public on May 1, 1893, the dedication ceremony was held on October 21, 1892. The fair lasted until October 30, 1893.
