The International Geophysical Year begins

July1, 1957: At the height of the Cold War in the 1950s, scientists established the International Geophysical Year (IGY), a global effort for a comprehensive study of the Earth, its poles, its atmosphere, and its interactions with the Sun. Seven years of planning led to coordinated activities in 11 science disciplines by participating scientists in 67 nations during the 18-month effort that began on July 1, 1957, and ended on Dec. 31, 1958.

The Soviet Union and the United States announced plans to place satellites into Earth orbit during the IGY. The launches of Sputnik and Explorer 1 began the Space Age and led to new scientific discoveries. The large volume of information gathered during the IGY required the establishment of World Data Centers to make the results widely accessible.