1946-1947 - Beginnings of Radioastronomy research in France, with Émile Blum, Jean-François Denisse and Jean-Louis Steinberg. Along with Yves Rocard, they were the founding fathers, of the Nançay Radioastronomy facility.
The very first observation instruments were actually military radars.

1953 - Dedicating a place to Radioastronomy. A large piece of land was bought in order to build very large instruments: first, a solar interferometer. Today's radioheliograph is the oldest instrument built in Nançay, still used.

1960-1965 - Building the Decimetric Radiotelescope. Inauguration by Général de Gaule.
At that time, the main goal of such a gigantic Radiotelescope is to studythe Hydrogen 21-cm line. Many focal troley have been upgraded since then, in order to keep the whole instrument up to date.

1974-1977 - Building a Decametric Array Radiotelescope, a 144-tee-pee-antennas interferometer to study electromagnetisum phenomenons both with Jupiter and with the Sun.

2010 - Building the first LOw Frequency ARray antennas in Nançay, part of a large interferometer through out Northern Europe.
May, 20th 2011 - Official inauguration of the Nançay LOFAR station.