The 1933-1934 Chicago World's Fair, mentioned as just having begun, places this episode around its opening date: May 27, 1933. Walt Disney's "Three Little Pigs (1933)" was released on the same day.
General Tom Thumb was the stage name of Charles Sherwood Stratton (January 4, 1838 - July 15, 1883), a little person who achieved great fame as a midget performer under circus pioneer P.T. Barnum, with routines that included impersonating characters such as Cupid and Napoléon Bonaparte.
This is the only episode where Jim-Bob and Elizabeth share a bedroom. In subsequent episodes Jim-Bob bunks with Jason and Ben while Elizabeth shares a room with Mary-Ellen and Erin.
The World's Fair 1933 "A Century of Progress International Exposition" was the name of a World's Fair that was held in Chicago from 1933 to 1934 to celebrate the city's centennial. The theme of the fair was technological innovation; the motto was "Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Conforms"; its architectural symbol was the Sky Ride, a transporter bridge perpendicular to the shore on which one could ride from one side of the fair to the other.
Sally Rand is considered an American icon in the world of entertainment where at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair she debuted her legendary risqué fan dance. Her career thereafter lasted 30 years.