Although we often view the explosive growth in studies of molecular self assembly and monolayer films on surfaces as a relatively recent phenomena, in fact, reports dating from Roman times note the value of the spreading of oil on the surface of water in calming the seas. But arguably the beginning of the field as a scientific discipline dates back to the experiments of Benjamin Franklin who reported to the Royal Society in 1774 that placing as little as one teaspoon of oil on the surface calmed the ripples on a small area that quickly extended to have an acre. This presentation will provide an overview of how this area of science has evolved from these early times where oil was used to calm the raging seas, to the present day where studies of self assembled monolayers structures and their application to a variety of technological, biological and environmental processes are all the rage.