This article aims to give an historical overview of how interpreters have shaped history. However inconsistent the annals of history have been on the subject of interpreting, however piecemeal the records, there is now ample testimony to the interpreters who devoted their lives to the profession, as well as those who took it up as the occasion warranted. Whether they chose the profession or were chosen by it, interpreters have helped shape history. Before examining the specific achievements of interpreters, the author presents a brief survey of the various modes of interpreting through the ages and shows how the age-old practice has grown into the sophisticated profession it is today.