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History

The ILL was founded on 19 January 1967. Its high-flux reactor started delivering neutrons for science in 1972 and since then is the major steady state neutron source in the world.

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ILL key dates

The signing ceremony for the creation of the Institut Laue-Langevin. Left: G. Stoltenberg, the German Minister for Research & Technology Right A. Peyrefitte, the French Minister for Research
The signatures that founded the Institut Laue-Langevin. Left: G. Stoltenberg, the German Minister for Research & Technology Right A. Peyrefitte, the French Minister for Research
Landscaping (Jan 1968)
Landscaping (Jan 1968)
The reactor floor
The reactor floor
The concrete wall of the reactor hall
The concrete wall of the reactor hall
The metal wall of the reactor hall
The metal wall of the reactor hall
The reactor vessel
The reactor vessel

1967: The ILL is founded on January 19th by France and Germany

1968: Landscaping

1969: Start of work on the reactor floor and walls

1970: Installation of the Level D crane

1971: Construction complete
          The reactor went critical on August 31, ramping to full power on December 16-21

1972: First experiments. Ipoustéguy's sculpture is installed

1973: The UK becomes an Associate on January 1st

1976: The European Molecular Biology Laboratory outstation is established on the site

1979: The 'Deuxième souffle' modernisation programme

Installation of the Level D crane
The RHF ready to start
The RHF ready to start
The reactor goes critical
The reactor goes critical
First experiments, first peak measured!
Ipoustéguy's sculpture is installed
Ipoustéguy's sculpture is installed
UK joins ILL
A general view of the site
A general view of the site before building the ESRF
Vertical cold source
Vertical cold source
New horizontal cold source
New horizontal cold source
Reactor re-painting
Reactor re-painting
The old reactor vessel is cut into pieces
The old reactor vessel is cut into pieces
A new vessel is installed
A new vessel is installed

1981: The Intergovernmental Agreement is extended to December 1992

1984: Decision to build the ESRF in Grenoble, on the ILL / EMBL research site

1985: Improved version of the vertical cold source

1987: New horizontal cold source

1991-1995: Replacement of the reactor vessel

1994: ESRF starts operations; its first experiments

1995: Restart of the "new" reactor

2000: Launch of the "Millennium Programme" for the modernisation of instruments

2002: ILL is a founding member of EIROFORUM

2002-2007: Refit programme, with improvements to security and seismic reinforcements

2003: The new hot source is installed

2006: Inauguration of the Carl-Ivar Brändén Building, host to the Partnership for Structural Biology, the UVHCI, and the Deuteration lab

2006: H1/H2 guide renewal

2010: Transfer from the CEA to the ILL of environmental monitoring responsibilities

2010: Launch of the EPN science campus

Refit Programme: Architect's view of the works in the main building
Refit Programme: demolition of the corridor between ILL7 and ILL22
View of the Carl Ivar Branden Building. Copyright ILL/Ginter
The laboratory for environmental monitoring. Copyright ILL / A.Chézière