This Month in St. Louis History

Outside events in May link to St. Louis history

May was the anniversary of a couple of events that occurred outside of Missouri but would later have connections with St. Louis.

The 1893 Chicago World's Fair opened in the Windy City on May 1, 1893. One of the key attractions at that fair was the giant Ferris Wheel. That same wheel also was a hit in the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

Also, May is the anniversary date when Benjamin Franklin announced his invention of bi-focal glasses.

Of course, Franklin wasn't a Missourian. But, Young Saint Louis.com is using that date to give advance notice of the Benjamin Franklin exhibit that opens early next month at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park.

Also in past Mays, two famous Missourians were born. Longtime "scary" actor Vincent Price was born in St. Louis in 1911. Former president Harry S. Truman's birthday was in 1884.

Each month, the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park gathers information about events or people with anniversaries in the month. YSL.com then brings them to you to give you more insight into St. Louis' long history. (If you'd like to know more, visit www.mohistory.org.)

 

1893 Chicago World's Fair opens

When the 1893 Chicago World's Fair opened on May 1, the world's first giant Ferris Wheel wasn't even ready. It wouldn't be ready to even try to turn until June 9, when it was given a trial run without any passengers.

It wasn't until June 21 that the wheel's grand opening was held, complete with hosts of dignitaries in the cars.

Although critics had predicted disaster for the giant wheel, it ran without difficulty until November 6.

After the Chicago World's Fair, the wheel stood idle with protests that it was an eyesore on the lakefront.

But, it found a new life in St. Louis. There it was rebuilt and again became the hit of a world's fair.

But, at the end of the St. Louis fair, it came to an inglorious end. It was blown up, rather than dismantled.

For a history of the Ferris Wheel, visit www.hydeparkhistory.org/newsletter.html.

 

Ben Franklin, founding father, scientist, inventor

Benjamin Franklin was one of the fathers of the U.S. But, he was also a diplomat, scientist and inventor.

In a May 23, 1785, letter to a friend, Franklin announced his invention of bifocal glasses. The advantage of those was that it allowed a person to see distances and close-up with one set of eyeglasses.

Among his scientific efforts are his experiments with electricity, mapping of the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean and his efforts to diminish effects of the common cold.

In addition to his eyeglass invention, he invented the Franklin stove and a glass musical instrument called an Armonica.

He is the only one who was a signer of all five of America's founding documents. They included the Albany Plan, the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Amity, the Paris Peace Treaty and the Constitution of the United States.

This Franklin history takes on special meaning in St. Louis now. On June 9, a major exhibit on Franklin, "Benjamin Franklin, In Search of a Better World," opens an extended stay at the Missouri History Museum.

For more about the exhibit and Franklin, visit www.mohistory.org.

 

Actor Vincent Price born 1911

Born in St. Louis on May 27, 1911, Vincent Leonard Price Jr. is best remembered for his roles in a series of low-budget horror films. But, he also starred on the stage and TV.

Price died Oct. 25, 1993.

Price was the son of Vincent Leonard and Marguerite Price. His father was president of the National Candy Company.

He started his movie career in 1938 in "Service de Luxe." But, he had most of his film fame in the 1950s and 1960s in low-budget horror films.

He starred in "House of Wax," the first 3-D film to finish in top 10 in box office revenues. In 1959, he starred in the original "House on Haunted Hill." His character was so vivid that when the movie was remade in 1999, the actor playing Price's part was made-up to look like him and was renamed after him.

In the 1960s he did a series of scary films based on stories by author Edgar Allen Poe. They included "The House of Usher," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "Tales of Terror," "The Raven," "The Masque of the Red Death," and "The Tomb of Ligeia."

For more on Price, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Price

 

Harry S. Truman born 1884

Former president Harry S. Truman was born in Lamar, Mo., on May 8, 1884. The family moved several times while he was growing up.

After graduating from high school in Independence, Mo., Truman had several jobs, including 10 years when he helped on his father's farm near Grandview, Mo.

After his marriage to the former Bess Wallace, Truman was a partner in a men's clothing store in Kansas City. It failed in the recession after World War I.

Truman's political career started in 1922, when he was elected to the Jackson County Court. Although titled a judge, Truman's duties were primarily administrative, not judicial.

He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1934 and re-elected in 1940. He became vice-president in 1944 and became president on Jan. 20, 1945, after Franklin D. Roosevelt died only 82 days into his 4th term.

His first year in office was what he called "a year of decisions." They included the end of war in Europe, the Potsdam Conference to cover post-war rule in Europe. In the Pacific, Truman made the decisions to drop atomic bombs on Japan, which resulted in Japan's surrender less than a week later.

For more on Truman, visit www.trumanlibrary.org/hst-bio.htm.

One of the Missourian's most lasting actions was the establishment of the Truman Doctrine in the post-WWII era. This was designed to "contain" Russian expansion after the war.

For more on the Truman Doctrine, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truman_Doctrine.