Celebrating fifty years of physics of failure

The year 2012 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the physics of failure concept since it was first introduced in 1962 by the Rome Air Development Center (now known as the Air Force Research Laboratory). A chronological description of the important historical events that led to the birth and subsequent advancement of physics of failure concept over the last fifty years has been presented in this paper. Alongside, a review of physics of failure concepts and methodologies as they evolved in the last fifty years has also been provided.