Cervantes notes of Don Quixote that “…history is in a manner a sacred thing”. There are many reasons that these prosaic words ring true; perhaps most clearly it is because a people's history is its heritage. History defines whence we came, lends an understanding to who we are and in some ways helps us to understand where we can go.

Interventional neuroradiology, endovascular surgical neuroradiology or, its present preferred name, neurointerventional surgery, has a rich, albeit a somewhat brief history. The field's colorful past and its relative youth are made obvious by the very ‘name’ of the field itself, for it has been, and continues to be, called by different names—each trying to focus on specific aspects of the field yet each still slightly missing its mark.

History is people. In fact, recorded history is very much influenced by the individuals who write it as well as live it. Understanding how this field was born and how it has matured certainly includes the need to understand the individuals involved in the development and growth of the specialty.

One of the rare and great opportunities for a relatively young and cohesive specialty like ours is the ability to follow the development of the field through its people: those who serve as teachers and mentors, and those who are the students and apprentices. As an example, most recently, Alex Berenstein, in his recollections of neurointerventional's history, has recorded the table of individual trainees over the course of his career.1 Understanding training relationships and chronology enriches and adds important character to the history of our field. Information regarding individuals' professional geneology, or pedigree as it were, provides a unique human dimension to the field. A most intriguing and fortunate aspect of neurointerventional surgery is that its youth lends itself to a careful ‘capture’ and description of its global development and history.

It is therefore with this in mind that the members of the History Committee of the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) invite practicing neurointerventionalists to participate in a global, specialty wide initiative. Such an initiative, although ambitious, will serve to enrich and solidify the history of the field. This will serve as one of the necessary foundations upon which the history of endovascular treatment can be built. It will enable its members to trace the various ‘schools of thought’ in the diagnosis and endovascular treatment of various disease processes. Although these ‘schools of thought’ are still very much in their formative years, like fields older than ours, they are certain to develop a rich tradition and a wonderful history.

The Neurointerventional Family Tree Data Form will be located on the SNIS website (http://www.snisonline.org) in time for the 2011 SNIS Annual Meeting. We invite all practicing neurointerventionalists to fill the form out as completely as possible. Once filled out the form can be submitted electronically to Eddie Woods (Woods{at}snisonline.org) or faxed to the SNIS office at 703-537-0650.

To liberally paraphrase Tolstoy in the epilogue from War and Peace, “…the subject of history is the life of a specialty”. We thank you in advance for helping to document the history of our field and welcome your suggestions to further our cause.