Page "International Code of Zoological Nomenclature" Paragraph 5

Compiling " International Rules on Zoological Nomenclature " was first proposed in 1895 in Leiden ( 3rd International Congress for Zoology ) and officially published in three languages in 1905 ( French, English, German ; only French was official ).

From then on amendments and modifications were subsequently passed on various zoological congresses ( Boston 1907, Graz 1910, Monaco 1913, Budapest 1927, Padova 1930, Paris 1948, Copenhagen 1953 and London 1958 ).

These were only published in English and can only be found in the reports of these congresses or in other official publications.

The 1905 Rules became increasingly outdated, they were soon sold out and it became increasingly difficult to obtain to complete set of the Rules with all its amendments.

In Copenhagen 1953 the French and English texts of the Rules were declared to be of equivalent official force and a declaration was approved to prepare a new compilation of the rules.

An Editorial Committee was composed in London 1958 to elaborate a completely new version of the nomenclatural rules which should then be called the ICZN Code.

This text was finally published as the first edition of the ICZN Code on 9 November 1961.