The founding and development of X-ray crystallography

2014 is the centennial of X-ray crystallography. Crystals have played an important role in our lives and in the development of society throughout these 100 years. In July 2012 the 66th General Assembly of the United Nations declared 2014 to be the official International Year of Crystallography (IYCr2014). The discovery of X-ray diffraction by crystals has had a profound impact on science and technology worldwide. It provides for us a distinct image of the arrangement of atoms or/and molecules in crystals. The development of X-ray spectroscopy has made it possible for us to understand the laws of atomic structure, and thus to identify the elements in all kinds of matter. In this article the greatest events in the history of X-ray crystallography, including the development of X-ray sources,detectors, experimental data analysis, and experimental methods are reviewed to commemorate the pioneers who made such important contributions to science and technology.