Abstract: The remarkable discovery of superfluid ³He has paved the way for the modern era of quantum condensed states of matter. I recount this development from a personal perspective highlighting the role of serendipity and the interplay between experiment and prediction. There are fits and starts, beautiful physics, a road that continues with rich promise and the occasional disappointment. Yet superfluid ³He is inspirational for unconventional superconductivity, possible condensates of dense quark matter, cores of neutron stars, and proposed sensors of dark matter.