Context:
The
Russell–Einstein Manifesto was issued in London on 9 July 1955 by
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand_Russell in the midst of the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War. It highlighted the dangers posed by
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapons and called for world leaders to seek peaceful resolutions to international conflict. The signatories included eleven pre-eminent intellectuals and scientists, including
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein, who signed it just days before his death on 18 April 1955. A few days after the release, philanthropist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_S._Eaton offered to sponsor a conference—
called for in the manifesto—in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pugwash,_Nova_Scotia, Eaton's birthplace. This conference was to be the first of the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pugwash_Conferences_on_Science_and_World_Affairs, held in July 1957.