CERN’s 50th anniversary

On October 19, 2004, CERN (Centre Européen de Recherche Nucléaire: European Organization for Nuclear Research) will officially celebrate its 50th anniversary in a ceremony to be attended by the Spanish, French and Swiss Heads of State, along with representatives of the governments of all the organization's Member States and Observers, in order to pay tribute to the discoveries made by the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. The French President, Mr Jacques Chirac, will inaugurate the "De Gaulle door" situated on French territory. Initially created in 1954 by 12 European states, CERN now brings together 20 states, is in contact with 7000 researchers in 85 countries and hence serves as a bridge between researchers worldwide. For its 50th anniversary, CERN opened its doors to the public on Saturday October 16, 2004 and 800 scientists welcomed over 32 000 visitors. Further information about the event is available from the CERN press office at + 41 22 767 3432, or at press.office@cern.ch.