Our history - 1920 to 1969

The Government opens a series of laboratories to undertake leading-edge scientific research.

1920
The Radio Research Station (link opens in a new window)| was founded at Ditton Park, Slough. The eminent scientists who worked there included radio scientist Sir Edward Victor Appleton (link opens in a new window)| and Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt (link opens in a new window), pioneer of RADAR.

1954
Britain and 11 other countries get together to establish CERN (link opens in a new window)

1957
The National Institute for Research in Nuclear Science opened the Rutherford High Energy Laboratory at Harwell, near Chilton in Oxfordshire.

1962
The National Institute for Research in Nuclear Science opened a laboratory in Daresbury, near Warrington in Cheshire.

1964
The Atlas Computing Laboratory was established alongside the Rutherford High Energy Laboratory at Harwell.

1965
The British government created the Science Research Council to oversee its investments in scientific research.

The Council assumed responsibility for the Rutherford High Energy Laboratory, the Daresbury Laboratory and the Appleton Laboratory.

It was also given responsibility for the Royal Observatories in Greenwich and Edinburgh.

1967
The Science Research Council (SRC) opened the Chilbolton Observatory to expand its radio and space research.