50 years ago in Expo history: The fair was finally here, bringing with it President Nixon, comedian Danny Kaye and a crowd of at least 55,000

“At 12 noon of this day, acting in my capacity as president of the United States, it is my highest privilege to declare Expo ’74 officially open to all of the citizens of the world.”

With those words, President Richard M. Nixon launched Expo ’74 in Spokane, the smallest city to host a world’s fair.

The crowds were certainly not small. By noon, when Nixon uttered those words, the turnstile count had already hit 55,000.

The ceremony included the release of 50,000 colored balloons, which “drifted up to meet six large manned hot air balloons.” A flight of 1,000 homing pigeons joined them in the sky.

Nixon’s speech included a call for the nations of the world to work together to clean up the environment. Nixon mentioned clean water, but not “Watergate,” to no one’s surprise.

The word “impeachment” came up only during a couple of protest rallies, one a few blocks away at the Federal Building and another near the entry to the Expo grounds. The protests were peaceful and relatively small, estimated at about 125 people.

During the opening ceremonies, Expo president King Cole honored the “people of 1,000 days” – the city’s civic and business leaders who for years had dedicated their time and resources to making Expo ’74 a reality. Cole said they overcame seemingly “insuperable obstacles.”

Actor/comedian and philanthropist Danny Kaye was granted the honor of reading the Expo ’74 credo, which included the words, “We believe in the restoration of reverence of nature, which once filled our land.”