Within CERN’s archives lies a letter dated 20 December 1954 from Sir Ben Lockspeiser, the then Council chairperson to the Director General and staff of CERN:

“This is to bring you all the best wishes of Council for CERN’s First Christmas. An organisation in its early years inevitably encounters difficulties, and an organisation such as CERN which is not only new but is creating something new is bound to encounter its fair share. But enough has already been achieved to give confidence that CERN will move steadily to fulfil its purpose and grow in strength to achieve its aim. The progress of CERN has only been made possible by the devotion of all those engaged in the enterprise, and in wishing you a happy New Year the Council knows that it can count on this devotion during the coming year”

See how CERN grew from that first year until now by revisiting the CERN70 feature series, full of recollections from those who were there at the time.

You can send your own wishes for the year ahead via the CERN e-card website.