History of international exhibitions, presenting human achievement in individual fields of science and art

1851 - The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, organized by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. In Hyde Park, London, about a million devices and exhibits were presented, chiefly industrial and construction related. Steam engines attracted the greatest interest among the visitors. During the Great Exhibition, public lavatories were opened for the first time in the world.

1853 – New York, USA

1853 – Dublin, Ireland (ten Great Britain)

1855 – Paris, France „ Agriculture, Industry and Arts”. Initially, exhibitions took place alternatively in Paris and London.

1862 – London International Exhibition on Industry and Art, Great Britain.

1867 – Paris, France „The History of Labor”

1873 – Vienna, Austria „ Culture and Education”, exhibition for the first time in a German speaking country

1874 – Dublin, Ireland (then Great Britain)

1876 – Philadelphia, USA. Celebration of the Centennial of American Independence and the Declaration of July 4th 1776

1878 – Paris, France „ Agriculture, Arts and Industry”. Paintings by Jan Matejko were displayed: „The Lublin Union”, „Suspension of the Sigismund Bell in Cracow”, „Wacław Wilczek of Czeszów”

1884 – New Orleans, USA

1885 – Antwerp, Belgium

1886 – London, Great Britain

1886 – Melbourne, Australia

1888 – Glasgow, Scotland

1889 – Paris, „ Celebration of the Centennial of the French Revolution”, erection of the Eiffel Tower

1893 – Chicago, USA. The theme was the Fourth Centennial of the Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus

1894 – San Francisco, USA

1895 – Atlanta, USA

1897 – Brussels, Belgium „Automobiles”

1900 – Paris, France „Evaluation of a Century”

1901 – Buffalo, USA

1904 – Saint Louis, USA „Louisiana Purchase”

1905 – Liege, Belgium. Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Belgium Independence 

1906 – Milan, Italy „Transport”

1907 – Dublin, Ireland (then Great Britain)

1907 – Hampton Roads, USA

1909 – Seattle, USA

1910 – Brussels, Belgium „Industry”

1911 – Turin, Italy

1913 – Ghent, Belgium

1915 – San Francisco, USA, Inauguration of the Panama Canal and Celebration of the Construction of San Francisco

1915 – San Diego, USA

1922 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

1924 – Wembley, Great Britain

1925 –Paris, France

1926 – Philadelphia, USA

1928 – Signing of the Convention on International Exhibitions and establishment of the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE), deciding which of the candidates would be honored with organization of an Exhibition.

1929 – Barcelona, Spain

1930 – Seville, Spain. A Spanish-American Exhibition

1930 – Antwerp, Belgium

1930 – Liege, Belgium

1931 – Paris, France

1933 – Chicago, USA „ A Century of Progress”

1935 – Brussels, Belgium „ Transports, Colonization”

1937 – Paris, France „ Arts and Technology in Modern Life”

1939 – New York, USA „The World of Tomorrow”. For the first time a public television broadcast from the exhibition was presented.

1939 – Liege, Belgium „The Great Season of the Water”

1939 – San Francisco, USA „Golden Gate”

1958 – Brussels, Belgium “Evaluation of the World for a More Human World”.  First exhibition after an 18-year interval.

1962 – Seattle, USA “Man in the Space Age”

1964 – New York, USA “Peace through Understanding”

1967 – At the Montreal exhibition, titled „ Man and his World. Canada's Centennial”, the term EXPO appeared for the first time as the valid name of an International Exhibition.

1968 – San Antonio, USA „The Confluence of Civilizations In the Americas”

1970 – Osaka, Japan “Progress and Harmony for Mankind”

1974 – Spokane, USA “Celebrating a Fresh, New Environment”

1975 – Okinawa, Japan “The Sea we Would Like to See”

1982 – Knoxville, USA “Energy Turns the World”

1984 – New Orleans, USA “The World of Rivers – Fresh Water as a Source of Life”

1985 – Tsukuba, Japan “Dwellings and Surroundings – Science and Technology for Man at Home”

1986 – Vancouver, Canada “World in Motion – World in Touch”

1988 – Brisbane, Australia “Leisure in the Age of Technology”

1992 – Seville, Spain “The Age of Discoveries” – the first exhibition after World War II with participation of Poland

1992 – Genoa, Italy “Ships and the Sea”

1993 – Taejon, South Korea “The Challenge of a New Road to Development”

1998 – Lisbon, Portugal “Oceans - A Heritage for the Future”. 500^th Aniversary of Vasco da Gama’s voyage to India

2000 – Hannover, Germany „Humankind - Nature – Technology – a new world arising”

2005 – Aichi, Japan „Nature’s Wisdom”

2006 – Ratchaphruek, Thailand „Royal Flora”

2008 - Zaragoza, Spain "Water and sustainable development".