100 years ago today, the Panama-Pacific International Exposition opened its doors.

Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 San Francisco World's Fair)

On February 20, 1915, the city of San Francisco intended to show the world it had emerged from its greatest catastrophe stronger than ever.

That was the date of the grand opening of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, which occurred not quite a full decade after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The resulting fires had destroyed nearly 80 percent of the city and killed thousands, and San Francisco was eager to rid itself of its image as a city destroyed. Through the exposition, it got exactly that.

Nearly 19 million people over the course of nine months were treated to a spectacle of technology, commerce, and culture on former marshland now known as the Marina District.