Voir en

français

CERN 50th anniversary celebrations approach their climax

CERN 50th anniversary celebrations approach their climax

Geneva, 7 September 2004. CERN1's 50th anniversary celebrations step up a gear in September, and reach a climax with an official celebration on 19 October. Media are welcome at this event, but accreditation in advance is essential.


Geneva, 7 September 2004. CERN1's 50th anniversary celebrations step up a gear in September, and reach a climax with an official celebration on 19 October. Media are welcome at this event, but accreditation in advance is essential.

CERN turns 50 on 29 September, an event that will be marked with birthday parties in several of the organization's Member States. At CERN itself, the anniversary will be marked by a spectacular illumination of the 27-kilometre Large Hadron Collider (LHC) ring, supported by the State of Geneva.

The first of the major events is a party for CERN personnel on 17 September. One month later, the Laboratory will throw open its doors to the public for an Open Day on 16 October. With 50 sites to visit, this is the most ambitious Open Day in the history of the Organization.

Celebrations reach a conclusion three days later on 19 October with the official VIP celebration attended by Heads of State and representatives of the Organization's 20 Member States. This occasion will also mark the inauguration of the Globe of Innovation, CERN's new networking and visitor centre that is a 50th anniversary gift to the Organization from the Swiss Confederation. Media accreditation is necessary to attend this event, and no exceptions will be made.

Media are also invited to a reception in the Globe of Innovation on 16 September at 15:00 to mark the completion of the building's reconstruction. No accreditation is necessary. Please contact the press office, however, if you wish to attend.

A series of press conferences is planned in CERN Member States during the week beginning 11 October, during which the programme of 19 October will be presented together with a video news release highlighting the 50th anniversary of the Organization. Details to follow in a future release.

For photos see Golden Jubilee Photos on this site or the Press Office PhotoDatabase

1. CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. It has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Romania is a candidate for accession. Israel is an Associate Member in the pre-stage to Membership. India, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have Observer status.