This paper describes the scientific, technical and political genesis of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). It begins with an outline of the early history of the LHC, from first thoughts and accelerator and detector developments that underwrote the project, through the first studies of the LHC and its scientific potential and the genesis of the experimental programme, to the presentation of the proposal to build the LHC to the CERN Council in December 1993. The events that led to the proposal to build the LHC in two stages, which was approved in December 1994, are then described. Next, the role of non-Member State contributions and of the agreement that CERN could take loans, which allowed single stage construction to be approved in December 1996, despite a cut in the Members' contributions, are explained. The paper concludes by identifying points of potential relevance for the approval of possible future large particle physics projects.