50 years ago today in Expo history: World’s fair planning is ahead of schedule, with $3 million in tickets already sold

Expo ’74 was beating nearly all of its planning benchmarks, according to Expo general manager Petr Spurney.

• Construction was 20 days ahead of schedule.
• The budget was nearly finalized and it was balanced. Actually, Spurney told the Expo board that it appeared the fair might show a profit of $90,000, which could be used for the future Riverfront Park.
• Advance ticket sales already exceeded $3 million, sooner than expected.

Spurney concluded this litany of optimism by saying that the fair’s entertainment schedule had reached a point where some stars not on the program had called and asked, “Why aren’t we?”

From 100 years ago: Radio mania was growing in Spokane, as evidenced by the crowds at the Spokane Radio Show.

An estimated 5,000 people showed up on the second day of the show, as they ogled displays of amateur radio equipment and commercial “radiophones,” or what we call “radios” today.

“The radiophone sets are the most elaborate,” the Chronicle wrote. “They resemble phonographs and distinctly ornamental as well as highly practical.”

Several radio stations had already come and gone in Spokane, but the true network radio boom was still just around the corner.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1597: A group of early Japanese Christians, known as the 26 Martyrs, are killed by the new government of Japan for being seen as a threat to Japanese society.