The Eurovision Song Contest was the brainchild of Marcel Bezençon of the European Broadcasting Union. It was based on Italy's Sanremo Music Festival and was really only created to test the limits of live television broadcast technology. Long before video streaming became the norm.
The first Eurovision was held on 24 May 1956, when just seven nations participated. With a live orchestra, which was the norm in the early years, and simple sing-along songs on every radio station, the Contest grew into a long lasting pan-European tradition.
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