World War II shook the foundations on which human civilizations thrived on this planet. This event, marred by death and destruction, crippled the world economy. The Second World War serves as a lesson for generations to come, that aggression and violence of any kind is certainly not the way to win the world.

Yet, early in November 1956, Soviet tanks crushed a democratic movement in Hungary. The Olympic Games commenced less than three weeks later. The Dutch and Spanish refused to attend the Olympics because the Soviets would be there. During the previous month, the British and French had commenced bombing Egypt in retaliation for annexing the Suez Canal. They ceased fire shortly after the Soviet action in Hungary. In the Americas, Castro's Communists invaded Cuba during the Olympic Games.

Seventeen year old John Ian Wing, the founder of the first International Peace March, chose the closing ceremony of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games as his venue. The president of the IOC Avery Brundage agreed to the boy’s request and changed the rules of the Games.

John Ian Wing turned 17 years of age just five days before the start of the 1956 Games.