New York World's Fair 1939

The New York World's Fair opened on April 30, 1939 (the 150th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration), ran for two seasons from April to October and officially closed on October 27, 1940. The stamp was offered to the public on opening day but was officially issued by the Post Office on April 1. With an attendance of 44 million people, it was the 2nd largest American world's fair of all time exceeded only by the St. Louis Exposition of 1904. With a theme of "the world of tomorrow" many buildings were designed to showcase futuristic architecture. The Trylon, a 700 ft triangular-shaped pylon, and the Perisphere, a 180 ft hollow sphere: 2 interconnected pavillions, became the symbol of the fair and are featured on the stamp. Ironically the fair opened at the start of World War II, and there was much tension between the European participants, giving new meaning to "the world of tomorrow".