It was April 4th, 1949 when, in the midst of the Cold War, the Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington, which led to the creation of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
There were 12 signatory states to the military treaty: Canada, USA, Iceland, France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, The Netherlands, Portugal, and The United Kingdom.
The headquarters is located in Brussels.
Today there are 30 countries in the Atlantic Alliance. The purpose of the Alliance is the defense of the participating countries, as well as a political and strategic partnership.
Despite the doubts about NATO recently expressed by the US President Donald Trump, the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the alliance will be held in the US capital during the meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO countries.
It will be held in Washington on the 3rdand 4th of April, 2019.