Italy 1956 – International Astronautical Congress 

The first International Astronautical Congress (IAC) was held in Paris in 1950. Out of it grew the International Astronautical Federation, an international non-governmental organization which has organized an annual International Astronautical Congress ever since. The 7th Congress was held in Rome in 1956 (commemorated by this stamp), where delegates heard, among other things, about US plans to put a satellite into orbit. However, the Russians got there first when Sputnik 1 was launched two days before the opening of the 8th IAC in Barcelona the following year. 

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