Historic discoveries and key observations related to Rubisco (Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase), from 1947 to 2006, are presented. Currently, around 200 papers describing Rubisco research are published each year and the literature contains more than 5000 manuscripts on the subject. While trying to ensure that all the major events over this period are recorded, this analysis will inevitably be incomplete and will reflect the areas of particular interest to the authors.