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Lys Assia, the first winner.
24 May 1956: Eurovision is born in Switzerland
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24 May 1956: Eurovision is born in Switzerland

Seven countries competed in the event's debut in Lugano, Switzerland, in 1956; Spain didn't take part in the annual festival until 1961

Rachel Haynes

Friday, 24 May 2019, 11:22

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On 24 May 1956 seven countries got together to launch an event that would end up being an annual spectacle with an audience of millions.

The first Eurovision Song Contest, known then as the Eurovision Grand Prix, took place in Lugano, Switzerland, and had seven participants. The event was conceived at a meeting of the European Broadcasting Union in 1955 in Monaco. Members discussed the idea of organising a pan-European version of the popular San Remo Music Festival in Italy.

The contest was broadcast as a radio show although there were television cameras in the theatre for the benefit of the few households that had television sets at the time.

The show was presented in Italian by Lohengrin Filipello. Seven countries performed two songs each in the Teatro Kursaal: Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and Italy.

The winner was the song Refrain, performed for hosts Switzerland by Lys Assia.

The next year Austria, Denmark and the UK joined the competition, followed by Sweden in 1958, Monaco in 1959 and Norway in 1960.

Spain first took part in the contest in 1961, along with fellow newcomers Finland and Yugoslavia.

That first year Spain came ninth with Estando Contigo sung by Conchita Bautista. The country has only won the competition twice: first in London in 1968 with La La La sung by Massiel; and again the following year when Salomé sang Vivo Cantando.

Spain came second on several occasions - 1971, 1973, 1979 and 1995 - and third in 1984.

At last Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, Israel, Spain was represented by Miki Núñez, with the song La Venda. It wasn't expected to do tremendously well, but the final result, 22nd, was disappointing.

The first winner, Lys Assia, attempted unsuccessfully to represent Switzerland again at the age of 87, but was not selected. She died in March last year at the age of 92.

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