The Panama Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) ran from February 20 to December 4, 1915. This spectacular world's fair welcomed the world to San Francisco to celebrate three important milestones:
 

1. The completion and opening of the Panama Canal, which shaved eight thousand miles off the trip from New York to San Francisco.

2. The 400th anniversary of the crossing of the Isthmus of Panama by Spanish conquistador and gold prospector Vasco Nunez de Balboa.

3. A celebration of San Francisco's rebuilding and recovery from the devastating 1906 earthquake and fire nine years earlier.

Stretching along two and one-half miles of San Francisco Bay, and six hundred acres of land that today is known as the Marina District, attendees gazed in awe at the luscious landscaped grand boulevards resplendent with flowers, gorgeous fountains and amazing statues. With representatives from twenty-four countries and twenty-eight US States, PPIE allowed fairgoers to discover new and faraway lands. Attractions included car racing, spectator sporting events, a midway with thrill rides, a giant typewriter weighing 28,000 pounds, and a wide variety of shows and other exciting exhibits and activities. Visitors could even observe a Henry Ford assembly line that produced eight Model Ts a day! There was something magical for everyone. By closing day, PPIE had welcomed through its gates nearly nineteen million visitors from around the world and was hailed as a huge success.