In 1958 the United States was shocked when the Soviet Union became the first country to launch a spaceship into orbit around the earth. In the months and years that followed the “Space Race” became the impetus for the United Sates to increase its capacity to do scientific research and development. The federal government in particular became concerned about increasing the number of students who chose science as field of study and a profession. The organizers of the Seattle Worlds Fair chose to focus its theme on the world of the twenty-first century and the role that science and technology would play in everyday life.

Some key historical questions: Why did the Federal Government invest so heavily in Fair? How did the Fair convey national concerns and priorities for use of technology? Was the Exposition successful? How accurately did Century 21 exhibits predict the future? What economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts did it have on Seattle and the greater Puget Sound area?

Be sure to consider other possibilities for historical questions as you analyze and interpret this topic.


Primary Sources

Commerce & Economic Development - Travel Correspondence & Subject Files Commerce & Economic Development - World's Fair File Governor Rosellini's Papers - World's Fair Commission Files Legislative Council - World's Fair Files Lieutenant Governor Cherberg's Papers - Century 21 File Parks & Recreation - Century 21 Correspondence Files Washington State Advertising Council Subject Files Worlds Fair Commission Minutes	Washington State Archives - State Government Archives
Century 21 Exposition - Commission Minutes Demolition & Construction Records Century 21 Exposition - General Reports Century 21 Exposition - News Clippings Century 21 Exposition - Photographs Century 21 Exposition - Press Releases King County Assessor Property Record Cards	Washington State Archives - Puget Sound Regional Archives
KVOS Channel 10 Film Collection	Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Century 21 Photo Collection	Museum of History and Industry
Conferences, Commissions and Expositions Records	National Archives
Seattle Center Records	Seattle Municipal Archives
Northwest Photography Collection Century 21 Exposition Music Scrapbook Century 21 Exposition Records Seattle Center Records Century 21 Exposition Scrapbooks Century 21 Exposition Publicity Scrapbooks	Seattle Public Library
James D. Braman Papers Ewen C. Dingwall Papers (Director of the Worlds Fair) George Gunn Papers (early supporter and organizer) Regional Newspaper and Periodical Index Seattle Century 21 Exposition Records Seattle World's Fair Scrapbooks	University of Washington Libraries
Northern Pacific Railway Century 21 Records	Washington State Historical Society
Century 21 Commission and Business Records (MS 178) World Fair Commission Minutes (WA 606 w891m) Century 21 Design Standards Advisory Board Minutes (WA 606 c33m-d) Century 21 Executive Committee Minutes (WA 606 c33m-e) Additional State Publications pertaining to Century 21 Federal Documents pertaining to planning and funding for Century 21 Official Guidebooks, Programs and Press Book Seattle newspapers Clippings File: Expositions - Century 21 (Buildings and Grounds) Clippings File: Seattle - Seattle Center (Buildings and Grounds)	Washington State Library
Charles C. French Correspondence	Washington State University
News Articles Photographs	White River Valley Museum

Secondary Sources

Meet Me at the Center: The Story of Seattle Center from the Beginnings to the 1962 Seattle World's Fair to the 21st Century by Don Duncan
Majic Lands: Western Cityscapes and American Culture After 1940 by John M. Findlay
Century 21: The Story of the Seattle World's Fair, 1962 by Murray Morgan

History Link: http://www.historylink.org/This_week/index.cfm Search on "Century 21"