Hastings Park was granted, in trust, by the province of British Columbia in 1889 to the City of Vancouver as a "park for recreation and enjoyment of the public."
In 1907, a dozen businessmen decided to develop a fair for the city. The Vancouver Exhibition was born. At the time the fair was the second largest in North America, after the New York City Fair.
Prime minister Wilfrid Laurier opened the first fair in 1910. Admission was 50 cents and about 68,000 people attended the event.
The Industrial Building was built in 1910, but surprisingly, with little industrial know-how - it was demolished in 1936 after rapidly deteriorating.
In 1913, mothers registered their babies in the Better Babies Contest for 50 cents. A team of physicians determined which babies were the healthiest.
During the First World War, organizers thought it would be best to keep the fair open to boost national morale. In 1918, the military and several reserve drill corps used Hastings Park as a drill-training site as part of an attraction.
In the 1920s, you could ride the streetcar for five cents, get into the fair for $1 and go wild on rides like Shoot the Chute and the Giant Dipper for 25 cents.
Hastings Street was widened in 1920 and fair organizers moved the main entrance to Renfrew and Hastings.
Before fair organizers created ticketed concerts at the Grandstand in 1926, all entertainment at the fair consisted of roaming bands and scattered free attractions.
When completed in 1930, the Forum ice surface was the largest sheet of artificial ice in North America.
The Vancouver Exhibition closed in 1942 and controversially housed Japanese Canadians headed for internment camps in the Interior. Fair buildings became warehouses for their belongings that were appropriated by the government.
After a four-year closure due to the Second World War, the Vancouver Exhibition was renamed the Pacific National Exhibition in 1946.
Happyland moved to the east side of the fair in 1958 and was renamed Playland. Happyland began in 1926 when it replaced the featured midway dubbed Skid Row.
As a result of the relocation of Happyland, several longtime favourite rides such as the Shoot the Chutes flume ride were demolished in 1957.
Ski jumping was introduced to the PNE in 1958 in conjunction with B.C. Centennial celebrations. The experiment ended up losing money.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the PNE on July 15, 1959.
In 1960, the timber show was first held at the fair and by 1966, it had become a regular feature. Timber show events included log-rolling, underhand chopping, and the chainsaw race.
Promoters of the 1967 Vancouver Boat Show put a killer whale named Walter in a small pool for the duration of the event. After the show, Walter was sold to the Vancouver Aquarium Society and renamed Skana.
In 1971, a demolition derby replaced the timber show in the outdoor bowl.
Record attendance at the PNE was set in 1974, when 1.3 million people walked through the turnstiles.
In 1977, the PNE set a single-day attendance record of 130,000.
SuperDogs first appeared at the PNE in 1984.
In 1990, the PNE raised parking fees from $4 to $6. A Vancouver Sun headline read "Parking-fee raise irks PNE visitors."
In July 1990, PNE management cancelled the fair, fearing a labour dispute. It took an agreement between B.C. Federation of Labour president Ken Georgetti and tourism minister Cliff Michael to help settle the dispute and open the gates.
In 1990, the City of Vancouver took the position that the PNE land should be returned to a natural park state under city jurisdiction.
In 1991, with doubts in the air over the fair's existence, PNE attendance fell to under one million for the first time since 1962.
Despite talk in the 1990s of moving the PNE to Coquitlam, Surrey or the Fraser Valley, the PNE's lease was extended three times during the decade.
Miss PNE competitions were held from 1948 to 1993.
A fire that broke out at the nearby Alberta Wheat Pool docks in 1994 forced the first emergency evacuation in PNE history.
The last PNE parade in downtown Vancouver was held in 1995, ending a 60-year tradition. After that, parades were held on-site.
Talk of moving the PNE reached another fevered level in 1999 when organizers bought a parcel of land in Surrey for $19.1 million. But the provincial government blocked the move, citing the $200-million cost as an inappropriate use of tax dollars.
The Sanctuary was introduced to fairgoers in 1999 as the first part of the re-greening of Hastings Park was completed. The phasing in of park land would take another three years.
The PNE employs 140 full-time staff and up to 4,000 direct part-time and seasonal employees.
Hastings Park is 65 hectares in size. The racecourse occupies 16 hectares, Empire fields 5.5, and the PNE 43.5. Park land occupies 22 hectares within the PNE grounds.
Film and television productions featuring the PNE Agrodome include Rocky IV, Miracle, Slap Shot 2, and McGyver.
Michael Bublé was discovered at the annual PNE talent competition in 1995.
The Beatles and Elvis Presley highlighted the many concerts held at Empire Stadium. Presley played in 1957 with tickets costing up to $3.50. The Beatles played in 1964 with tickets costing up to $5.50.
Dal Richards has performed at the PNE for 71 years.
Ernie Dougherty scooped and swirled ice cream for 68 years at the PNE. After starting in 1936 - when ice cream cost a dime - he finally put the cone down in 2004.
In 2009, 300,000 people attended the SuperDogs show at the Coliseum.
Seven million people have attended SuperDogs performances since they first appeared at the PNE.
There were 45 SuperDog performers that ate 860 pounds of food in 2009.
The first PNE prize home was presented in 1934. The 1936 home boasted an electric stove. In 1969, keyless door locks were all the rage. 1976 brought fancy fluorescent lighting.
Over the course of a day it is believed a prize home ticket seller will yell "Win a house, win a car" about 2,000 times.
2010 will mark the 70th prize home. Six homes have been missed in its 76-year history - four during the fair's cancellation during the Second World War and twice in the 1960s when a $50,000 gold bar was handed out instead.
The oldest ride at Playland is the Ferris Wheel, built in 1927.
The Hellevator rises 200 feet high and drops at a maximum speed of 75 km/h.
There are an estimated 1,300 vomiting incidents annually at the fair. That's an estimated 6.4 pukes per hour.
250,000 stuffed animals are given out as prizes during the fair annually.
Fairgoers broke 3,270 bottles at the Bottle Break Game on the Playland midway in 2009.
Since the inception of the PNE's Report Card Ticket Program in 1940, over 3 million free admission tickets have been handed out.
On average nine calves are born at the fair annually.
About 250 chicks are born at the fair annually.
20,000 chickens are eaten at Henry's Chicken stand annually.
The Musical Ride consists of 32 RCMP officers.
375 cellphones were lost during the 2009 PNE.
While no babies were lost at the 2009 PNE, staff recovered 30 abandoned baby strollers.
4,734 performers took part in PNE live shows in 2009.
The 4-H Festival has 350 performers.
The Bee Beard demonstration uses 6,000 bees.
22 Dumpsters of dung are taken away from the livestock area annually.
The West Coast Logger Show uses 600 blocks of wood each year.
Fact: Potato sacks prevent nasty rug-burns on the giant yellow slide.
Fairgoers hopped on a ride at Playland 3 million times in 2009.
The first roller coaster in Vancouver was the Giant Dipper at Happyland in 1925.
The Coaster began operating in 1958.
The Coaster is made of Douglas fir, giving it that famous rickety feel.
The Coaster is 23 metres tall. Once a train is lifted up the first hill it runs completely on momentum and reaches a top speed of 80 to 90 km/h.
A ride on the Coaster lasts 90 seconds. Memories? A lifetime.
500,000 people ride the Coaster annually.
One Coaster train makes an estimated 8160 trips around the 856-metre track during the fair. By the end of the 2010 PNE, a train will have travelled about 363,000 kilometres - far enough to reach the moon and begin its journey home.
In 2010 each train will have completed its ninth full circle around the world during the PNE.
When the PNE was slated to move to Surrey in the late 1990s, an heir to the Sunkist Orange fortune wanted to buy and move the Coaster to a private property in Victoria.
In 2009 the American Coasters Enthusiasts conferred official "landmark" status on the Coaster.
The Corkscrew was built in 1994 and, according to Wikipedia, is a "standard Vekoma-built roller coaster with a Bayern Curve and double corkscrews."
On average 25,000 more people show up daily to the PNE on the weekend than during the week.
The Chilliwack Corn stand sells 12,000 cobs of corn annually.
Steve O's Thin Crust Pizza stand sells about 7,000 pizzas annually.
Jimmy's Lunch food stand fries about 20,000 pounds of onions annually.
6,200 deep-fried Mars bars were sold during the 2009 PNE.
6,500 samosas are sold annually.
10,000 Whale Tales are sold annually.
21,000 corn dogs are sold annually.
Last year the Those Little Donuts stand used 12 tons of dough to make 2.5 million doughnuts during the fair.
While a large cotton candy will run you $5.50 at the fair it only takes about two tablespoons of sugar - or two cents worth - to make the sweet snack. Last year the fair sold 33,500 cotton candies.
10,000 pounds of Kettle Korn are popped annually.
14,000 feet of hotdogs are sold annually at the Foot Long Hotdog stand.
On a sour note, the Lemonade Stand uses 10,000 lemons annually.
The $6-million Pacific Coliseum officially opened with the Ice Capades on Jan. 8, 1968. Its name originated from a write-in contest that drew 4,000 entries.
The first hockey game at the Pacific Coliseum was between the Canucks of the Western League and the Providence Reds of the American League. Providence won 4-2; The Sun headline read "Rink great, team blaah.''
The Vancouver Canucks NHL franchise had a 24-year run on PNE grounds. By the end the Canucks were paying the PNE about $4 million in annual revenues.
The first NHL game at the Pacific Coliseum was on Oct. 9, 1970. Bob Berry of the Los Angeles Kings scored the first goal and the Canucks lost 3-1. The last game was on May 27, 1995. Chris Chelios scored in overtime to clinch the second round series for the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0.
"I don't think it's fair that we should be booed" - Phil Esposito of Team Canada, speaking to an angry crowd at the Coliseum after being booed off the ice following the 5-3 loss in Game 4 of the Summit Series on Sep. 8, 1972. The speech roused Team Canada, which went on to win the series.
On May 16, 1982, the New York Islanders beat the Canucks 3-1 and were awarded the Stanley Cup on Coliseum ice.
On May 27, 2007, the Vancouver Giants beat the Medicine Hat Tigers 3-1 to capture the Memorial Cup on Coliseum ice.
One dozen Olympic gold medals were handed out at the Coliseum during the 2010 Winter Games. Canada won three gold, two silver, and two bronze medals in the 12 competitions.
Empire Stadium hosted seven Grey Cups. The BC Lions played at Empire Stadium from 1954 to 1982.
The Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American Soccer League were founded in 1974 and played at Empire Stadium until 1983 with regular crowds of more than 30,000.
During the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, John Landry and Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mark during the one-mile race at Empire Stadium. The four-minute mile remains enshrined in PNE history with a statue of the two at the front entrance.
Canada demolished Russia 5-0 on Jan. 5, 2006, at the gold medal match of the 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships as future Vancouver Canucks defenceman Luc Bourdon was chosen as one of the best players of the tournament.