EXPO TIMELINE
NEARLY 180 YEARS OF WORLD EXPOS
From the Crystal Palace to the Grand Ring, and beyond: find every Expo from 1851 to 2030, placed in the categorization system that governed it. We group them by era, so you can see how the rules changed.
1851-1933
Pre-BIE · 21 Expos
1935-1975
First system · 28 Expos
1981-2005
Second system · 14 Expos
2008-
Third system · 9 Expos
Expo 1851 London
Pre BIE
Expo 1855 Paris
Pre BIE
Expo 1862 London
Pre BIE
Expo 1867 Paris
Pre BIE
Expo 1873 Vienna
Pre BIE
Expo 1876 Philadelphia
Pre BIE
Expo 1878 Paris
Pre BIE
Expo 1880 Melbourne
Pre BIE
Expo 1888 Barcelona
Pre BIE
Expo 1889 Paris
Pre BIE
Expo 1893 Chicago
Pre BIE
Expo 1897 Brussels
Pre BIE
Expo 1900 Paris
Pre BIE
Expo 1904 St. Louis
Pre BIE
Expo 1905 Liege
Pre BIE
Expo 1906 Milan
Pre BIE
Expo 1910 Brussels
Pre BIE
Expo 1913 Ghent
Pre BIE
Expo 1915 San Francisco
Pre BIE
Expo 1929 Barcelona
Pre BIE
Expo 1933 Chicago
Pre BIE
Expo 1935 Brussels
General, First Category
Expo 1936 Stockholm
Special
Expo 1937 Paris
General, Second Category
Expo 1938 Helsinki
Special
Expo 1939 New York
General, Second Category
Expo 1939 Liege
Special
Expo 1947 Paris
Special
Expo 1949 Stockholm
Special
Expo 1949 Lyon
Special
Expo 1949 Port-au-Prince
General, Second Category
Expo 1951 Lille
Special
Expo 1953 Rome
Special
Expo 1953 Jerusalem
Special
Expo 1954 Naples
Special
Expo 1955 Turin
Special
Expo 1955 Helsingborg
Special
Expo 1956 Beit Dagon
Special
Expo 1957 Berlin
Special
Expo 1958 Brussels
General, First Category
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Expo 1961 Turin
Special
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Expo 1962 Seattle
General, Second Category
Expo 1965 Munich
Special
Expo 1967 Montreal
General, First Category
Expo 1968 San Antonio
Special
Expo 1970 Osaka
General, First Category
Expo 1971 Budapest
Special
Expo 1974 Spokane
Special
Expo 1975 Okinawa
Special
Expo 1981 Plovdiv
Specialized
Expo 1982 Knoxville
Specialized
Expo 1984 New Orleans
Specialized
Expo 1985 Tsukuba
Specialized
Expo 1985 Plovdiv
Specialized
Expo 1986 Vancouver
Specialized
Expo 1988 Brisbane
Specialized
Expo 1991 Plovdiv
Specialized
Expo 1992 Seville
Universal
Expo 1992 Genoa
Specialized
Expo 1993 Daejeon
Specialized
Expo 1998 Lisbon
Specialized
Expo 2000 Hannover
Universal
Expo 2005 Aichi
Specialized
Expo 2008 Zaragoza
Recognized
Expo 2010 Shanghai
Registered
Expo 2012 Yeosu
Recognized
Expo 2015 Milan
Registered
Expo 2017 Astana
Recognized
Expo 2020 Dubai
Registered
Expo 2025 Osaka
Registered
Expo 2027 Belgrade
Recognized
Expo 2030 Riyadh
Registered
CATEGORY GUIDE
READING THE CATEGORIES
PRE-BIE · 1851-1933
0.1
Pre-BIE
21 Expos, from Expo 1851 London to Expo 1933 Chicago.
RULES
No official, international standard categorized Expos before the BIE.
FIRST SYSTEM · 1935-1975
1.1
General, First Category
4 Expos: Expo 1935 Brussels, Expo 1958 Brussels, Expo 1967 Montreal, and Expo 1970 Osaka.
PAVILIONS
Participants could build their own pavilions.
FREQUENCY
At least six years between two Expos of the same category.
1.2
General, Second Category
4 Expos: Expo 1937 Paris, Expo 1939 New York, Expo 1949 Port-au-Prince, and Expo 1962 Seattle.
PAVILIONS
Participants could not be induced to build their own pavilions.
FREQUENCY
At least six years between two Expos of the same category.
1.3
Special
20 Expos, from Expo 1936 Stockholm and Expo 1938 Helsinki to Expo 1975 Okinawa.
THEME
Illustrates a definite theme.
DURATION AND SIZE
Up to six months, with no limit on the size of the site.
LATER NAME
Redefined as Specialised Exhibitions by the 1972 Protocol.
SECOND SYSTEM · 1981-2005
2.1
Universal
2 Expos: Expo 1992 Seville and Expo 2000 Hannover.
ORIGIN
The 1972 Protocol replaced the two General categories with a single World Exhibition.
FREQUENCY
An interval of 10 years between World Exhibitions.
TRANSITION
Expo 2000 Hannover opened after the 1988 amendment entered into force but kept the 1972 rules.
2.2
Specialized
12 Expos, from Expo 1981 Plovdiv to Expo 2005 Aichi.
ORIGIN
The 1972 Protocol redefined Special Exhibitions as Specialised Exhibitions.
DURATION AND SIZE
Up to six months, with no limit on the size of the site.
FREQUENCY
At least two years apart, barring exceptions allowed by the BIE.
THIRD SYSTEM · 2008 TO TODAY
3.1
Registered
5 Expos: Expo 2010 Shanghai, Expo 2015 Milan, Expo 2020 Dubai, Expo 2025 Osaka, and Expo 2030 Riyadh.
THEME
A universal challenge of our time.
DURATION
Up to six months.
FREQUENCY
Every five years.
SIZE AND PAVILIONS
No maximum size. Participants may build their own pavilions or rent a dedicated space.
3.2
Recognized
4 Expos: Expo 2008 Zaragoza, Expo 2012 Yeosu, Expo 2017 Astana, and Expo 2027 Belgrade.
THEME
A precise subject of international interest.
DURATION
Up to three months.
FREQUENCY
Between two Registered Expos.
SIZE AND PAVILIONS
Up to 25 hectares. Participants customize space provided by the organizer.
"Annual International Exhibition." Wikipedia. Accessed October 8, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annual_International_Exhibition.
Bonython, Elizabeth, and Anthony Burton. The Great Exhibitor: The Life and Work of Henry Cole. V&A Publications, 2003.
Britannica Editors. "Sir Henry Cole." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Accessed October 8, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Cole.