International standardization activities started in the field of electronics as early as in 1906, and the world's earliest international standardization agency, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), was established. Work in other technical fields was originally undertaken by the International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations (ISA), established in 1926, with a focus on mechanical engineering. The work of ISA was terminated in 1942. In 1946, representatives from 25 countries met in London and decided to establish a new international organization whose purpose was to promote international cooperation and the unification of industry standards. As a result, the new ISO organization was formally established on February 23, 1947, with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. ISO issued the first standard in 1951 - the standard reference temperature for industrial length measurement.

Many people have noticed that there is a difference between the full name and the abbreviation of the International Organization for Standardization, why not "IOS"? Actually, "ISO" is not an acronym, but a word, it comes from Greece Language, meaning "equal", there are now a series of words prefixed with it, such as "isometric" (meaning "equal size") "isonomy" (meaning "legal equality") From "equal" to "standard", the intrinsic connection makes "ISO" the name of the organization.