The petition was followed by a letter of support signed by more than 30 prominent scientists.
The document was signed by 1700 scientists, including a majority of the Nobel prize winners in the sciences.
Its scientific integrity program has produced surveys of federal scientists at multiple agencies and a statement signed by more than 11,000 scientists condemning political interference in science.
It was signed by nearly three dozen well-known German scientists, authors and artists in advance of the German federal election in July 1932.
The Potsdam Manifesto was signed by more than 130 scientists and personalities from all over the world.
Both announcements came the following year after a letter signed by 1,500 scientists called on political leaders to protect at least half of the boreal forest.
The report, which was supposedly signed by 15,000 scientists, advocated the abandonment of the Kyoto Protocol.
In the recent skirmishes over evolution, advocates who have pushed to dilute its teaching have regularly pointed to a petition signed by 514 scientists and engineers.
In 1958, Pauling and his wife presented the United Nations with the petition signed by more than 11,000 scientists calling for an end to nuclear-weapon testing.
The news conference had been scheduled to discuss a statement signed by 5,000 scientists around the world, known as the Durban Declaration.