Looking at the impressive success story of transition metalcatalysed coupling chemistry over the last four decades,finally crowned with the Nobel Prize in chemistry for theUS chemist Richard F. Heck and the Japanese researchers EiichiNegishi und Akira Suzuki in 2010, preceded by the earlierNobel Prizes for Chauvin, Grubbs and Schrock (2005, ringclosing metathesis) and Knowles, Noyori and Sharpless (2001,metal catalysed hydrogenation and oxidation reactions), itis worthwhile to remember the beginnings of the aryl halidecoupling methodology in general. ...