County Council declares June 1 as “Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition Centennial Day” in King County

June 1, 2009

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The Metropolitan King County Council today commemorated the 100-year anniversary of an important event in the region’s history by proclaiming June 1, 2009, as Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition Centennial Day in King County.

Held from June to October in 1909, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition attracted nearly four million visitors and is widely regarded as the region’s first world’s fair. The purpose of the Exposition was to showcase the bountiful resources and leading industries of the Pacific Northwest, and it helped put Seattle and the region on the map as an international destination.

The proclamation of Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition Centennial Day by the King County Council marks the opening of the Exposition 100 years to the day. On June 1, 1909, U.S. President William Howard Taft ceremoniously signaled the commencement of the Exposition from across the country by pressing a gold telegraph key, and upon receiving the signal, the fair began with a great deal of fanfare.

“The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition was an important event in our region’s history, and its legacy has impacts that can still be seen today,” said County Council vice chair Bob Ferguson, who read the proclamation. “Recognizing such events is important to supporting and preserving the county’s history and heritage.”

“The Exposition launched our region onto the world stage and into the public imagination as a place of place of beauty and innovation,” said Leonard Garfield, Executive Director of the Museum of History and Industry and chair of the Seattle-King County Task Force on the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. “During this centennial year, we are celebrating not just the fair that was, but the future that it helped to shape.”

“The organizers of the centennial celebration, including the boards and staffs of over 70 King County organizations, appreciate that their work has been honored by the County Council,” said Michael Herschensohn, coordinator for Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Centennial Activities for the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. “We are delighted that the proclamation is dated exactly 100 years after the fair’s opening, a glorious moment of the Exposition of 1909 that marked the coming of age of Seattle and King County.”


“The 1909 Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition introduced Seattle and the region to the world, a remarkable and bold achievement a mere 57 years after the Denny Party landed at Alki Point,” said Jim Kelly, Executive Director of 4Culture, King County’s Cultural Services Agency. “By celebrating the centennial of the AYP, we gain a better understanding of our common heritage.”

The Centennial is being celebrated with events and activities throughout King County that highlight the history and legacy of the Exposition, each presenting a different perspective on this pivotal moment in local history.

The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Centennial Celebration is a project of the City of Seattle's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and 4Culture, in collaboration with dozens of organizations and individuals around the region.



Councilmembers recognized the Centennial Celebration of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific  Exposition by declaring June 1, 2009 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition Centennial Day in King County.

For more information about the fair and centennial events click here