The Sunsphere, the debut of Cherry Coke and the NFL at Neyland Stadium

Joel Christopher, Knoxville News Sentinel
·2 min read

Welcome to "Your Week in Knoxville," a weekly note for subscribers only from Knox News editor Joel Christopher. Five of our top stories from the week are always highlighted at the bottom of this newsletter.

I just got back from the fireworks show at World's Fair Park on Saturday night to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, and it was a fantastic display.

In the weeks leading up to the anniversary – the fair kicked off on May 1, 1982 – our newsroom put together a collection of stories, photo galleries and videos about the fair, its legacy and the future of the iconic Sunsphere.

We've put together all that storytelling right here in case you missed any of it, and it's definitely worth taking a spin through.

Lost in the obvious touchpoints from the fair - the Sunsphere, Petro's Chili, the birth of the Scruffy City nickname - are some fascinating stories, including the launch of Cherry Coke.

Whether you lived through the fair or were born long after, you'll enjoy learning about how an event from decades ago still reverberates through the culture of this place we call home.

Thank you again for you support, and as always, please feel free to reach me directly with questions or comments by email at joel.christopher@knoxnews.com or by phone at 865-3472-6300.

All my best,

Joel Christopher, editor

If you know a health care professional who deserves to be honored in our annual Health Care Heroes program, you've got one last chance to nominate them by filling out this simple online form.

This year, we're awarding recipients in the following six categories:

  • Lifetime Achievement

  • Medical Excellence: Physician

  • Medical Excellence: Non-Physician

  • Community Outreach

  • Pandemic and Vaccination Leadership

  • Public Health Advocacy

The categories are broad enough to include an array of health care professionals, so we hope you'll take the time to make sure those you know who have been working tirelessly, and often without much public support, are recognized for their extraordinary efforts.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: The Sunsphere, the debut of Cherry Coke and the NFL at Neyland