The International Monetary Fund was founded by 44 states seeking further economic cooperation, having suffered the consequences of the Great Depression. It was established at the Bretton Woods Conference on December 27th, 1945.

The IMF has three missions including “furthering international monetary cooperation, encouraging the expansion of trade and economic growth, and discouraging policies that would harm prosperity.”

It now has near global membership with 190 member states.

Other notable events on December 27th:

In 537 AD, the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople was consecrated.

In 1949, the Netherlands transferred Sovereignty of Indonesia over to the United States of Indonesia.

In 1968, Apollo 8, the first mission to take humans to the Moon and back, successfully returned to Earth.