1982 World's Fair
The 1982 World's Fair was held in Knoxville, Tennessee in the United States. It opened on May 1, 1982 and closed on October 31, 1982 after receiving over 11 million visitors. With the theme of "Energy Turns the World," the fair was built on an abandoned railroad yard next to downtown Knoxville and the University of Tennessee.
The Sunsphere, a 266-foot steel tower topped with a five-story bronze globe, was built for the 1982 World's Fair. It is still standing and remains a symbol for the city of Knoxville.
The fair, run by the Knoxville International Energy Exposition, was widely considered to be a failure because of the lack of follow-on development and the bankruptcy of several local banks because of World's Fair-related debt. The fact that this Fair has been largely forgotten even by residents of East Tennessee was spoofed in an episode of The Simpsons, in which Bart and Milhouse take an ill-fated trip to Knoxville under the belief that the World's Fair is still taking place.
This was actually the second World's Fair to be held in the state, the first being the Tennessee Centennial Exposition of 1897.