50 years ago in Expo history: Mexico signed up for a fair pavilion, but officials were concerned at the nation’s lack of planning

Mexico was one of only 10 foreign countries to commit to an Expo ’74 pavilion, but now the Mexico Pavilion seemed to be in jeopardy – to say the least.

Mexico had still not begun interior construction, nor had it announced a contractor, an architect or even a theme. Opening day was less than two months away.

“We’re concerned,” said Expo general manager Petr Spurney.

Yet Mexico had signed a contract, so Expo officials still held out hope. The Mexico pavilion was penciled in for 4,250 square feet on Havermale Island.

There was no possibility of replacing the Mexico Pavilion with another country or state pavilion. The deadline had now passed for adding any new exhibits.

From 100 years ago: George Turner of Spokane wrote a letter to the editor of The Spokesman-Review in which he claimed that Spokane’s high schools were “stuffed and crammed with frills and fads and nonessentials.”

He said these “frills” were “considered not only useless, but positively detrimental by the most advanced educators in the country.”

What exactly did he consider “fads and fancies”? He listed them as classes that taught carpentry, machining, cooking, seamstress work and embroidery. He said it was “folly” to teach such things in public schools, and he urged everyone to vote no on an upcoming school bond.

On this day

(From onthisday.com)

1961: Soviet flight Sputnik 9 carries and returns from orbit a dog named Chernushka, frogs and a guinea pig.