Particle physics since 1945 and the emergence of the Standard Model

Abstract The creation of the Standard Model of particle physics is one of humankind’s most significant achievements. Its descriptive and predictive power has been experimentally verified with an unprecedented accuracy in many generations of experiments, ranging from low to high energies. So far, no significant deviations from its predictions have been observed. This paper will give a historical perspective of particle physics from the mid-1940s and the theoretical and experimental work, leading to the creation of the Standard Model. It will discuss the Large Hadron Collider, its experiments, the discovery of the Higgs boson, and physics beyond the Standard Model. Amongst the other questions being addressed in particle physics are: What constitutes dark matter? Are there extra dimensions of space? Why is the Universe composed of matter and not antimatter? The answers have the potential to alter our perception of how Nature operates at the fundamental level.