Geneva, 12 October 2004. On 16 October, CERN1 throws open its doors to the world for the most ambitious public open day in the Organization's history. This is one of several events to be held in Geneva in October marking the 50th anniversary of the world's largest particle physics laboratory.
The CERN Open Day is the highlight of the Organization's 50th anniversary celebrations for the public. Some 50 sites and activities have been prepared to give a complete picture of life at the world's leading fundamental physics research centre.
As well as visits to experimental sites and particle accelerators, there will be workshops, debates, scientific theatre, a circus and competitions. The day has been planned as a family day out, and activities for children as young as three have been prepared.
Adequate parking has been foreseen, but people planning to come are strongly advised to use public transport. Full details of the Open Day are available in the Open Day web pages in the 50th Anniversary Web Site.
Other 50th anniversary events still to come include the official celebration on 19 October in the presence of representatives from all of CERN's Member and Observer states. This event is by invitation only. Journalists are welcome, but advance accreditation is necessary.
CERN's official souvenir book 'Infinitely CERN - memories from 50 years of research' will be launched in Geneva on 14 October at an event to which the media are invited. Full details of the 19 October event will be available to journalists at this event.
There will also be three presentations of the performance 'Point de Suspension' given by the Mimescope theatre company in the Globe of Science and Innovation on 20 and 21 October.
CERN took its first steps on the banks of the river Arve, at Geneva University's Institute of Physics. To mark this event, the institute invites the public to a ceremony on 23 October. Among the activities planned for the day is a concert of ‘cosmic music'.
Full details of all the events marking CERN's 50th anniversary at CERN and in the Organization's Member States are available at the 50th Anniversary Web Site.
1. CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, 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, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. India, Israel, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have observer status.