Daily Archives: October 21, 2012

Seattle World’s Fair closes 50 years ago today (1962)


Video: 'Seattle World's Fair: "Century 21 Calling" 1962 American Telephone & Telegraph ( AT&T )'

(Sunday, October 21, 1962) — The Century 21 Exposition (also known as the Seattle World’s Fair) closed today after six months and nearly 10 million visitors. President John F. Kennedy was scheduled to attend the closing ceremony, but canceled because of what was described as a “head cold.” The actual reason turned out to be the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Kennedy asks newspaper editors to sit on story confirming Soviet missiles in Cuba 50 years ago today (1962)


Video: October 21, 1962 (at 0:22)

(Sunday, October 21, 1962, day six of the Cuban missile crisis, part of the Cold War) — U.S. President John F. Kennedy telephoned newspaper editors-in-chief at The New York Times and The Washington Post to ask the editors to refrain from printing any stories of the impending military actions related to the discovery of deployed Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba until after his national address the following day, by which time the American fleet was in position to enforce a blockade. Continue reading Kennedy asks newspaper editors to sit on story confirming Soviet missiles in Cuba 50 years ago today (1962)