Jameson Rollins - LIGO: The Dawn of Gravitational Wave Astronomy [EuroPython 2016] [20 July 2016] [Bilbao, Euskadi, Spain] (https://ep2016.europython.eu//conference/talks/keynote-ligo) Scientists have been searching for the elusive gravitational wave for more than half a century. Hear how they finally found them, and the role that Python played in the discovery. ----- Scientists have been searching for the elusive gravitational wave for more than half a century. On September 14, 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) finally observed the gravitational wave signature from the merger of two black holes. This detection marks the dawn of a new age of _gravitational wave astronomy_, where we routinely hear the sounds emanating from deep within the most energetic events in the Universe. This talk will cover the events leading up to one of the most important discoveries of the last century, and the myriad of ways in which Python enabled the effort.