From the beginning of 1952 until today many laboratories and scientists have reported on the function and occurrence of iron-binding molecules in fungi and bacteria which we call siderophores (iron carrier). Although these compounds were initially described as growth-promoting agents in microbes, it turned out that they are excreted for collecting iron from the environment under iron-limiting conditions. Iron uptake systems are essential to survive for all kinds of organisms. This review on the history of siderophores lists some of the most characteristic siderophore structures and the authors involved in their detection and description. The finding of siderophores and their membrane receptors are reported and cited consecutively, giving an overview of the state of knowledge. In addition it has finally a focus on the contribution of siderophore research at the laboratory in Tuebingen, Germany, where some of the novel siderophore structures have been elucidated.